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Occupational Pensions

I am just about to give way. The shadow Chancellor says that he wants long-term answers to the problems of the economy, but every position that he takes—refusing to replace the dividend tax credit with something else and refusing to tell us how he would fund corporation tax cuts—shows that he has learned nothing from two years as shadow Chancellor. His approach is short-termist, opportunistic and insubstantial. We take the long-term decisions for the economy; he has a short-termist approach. When the hon. Gentleman became shadow Chancellor, he said that far too often the Conservative party had been perceived as opportunist. He said:"““we have sacrificed long term credibility for the prospect of winning the support of an aggrieved section of the population or … winning a vote?" in Parliament. He continued:"““Short termism has hampered attempts to develop a long term … policy.?" That is exactly where the Conservative party is today.