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The Economy

I did not doubt that there would be a fair smattering of the "I told you so’s" in today’s debate, and I am afraid we have heard quite a few from Conservative Members so far. It was interesting to listen to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard). I do not think we are judged solely on what might be called the "I told you at such-and-such a point that it was all going to go wrong" basis; I believe that we are also judged on the basis of the actions that we take. I well remember that when people around me in my local communities in Crawley were suffering devastation, little help—in fact, none—came from the then Government. In Crawley, the wise words sound a little hollow. This is a hugely difficult time for families. We are suffering in our communities. I say "we" because my own family is faced with redundancy, and with having to make very difficult decisions. Few Members on either side of the House will not have been affected by the global downturn, and the important thing for us to decide now is what action to take to ensure that we recover, become strong and can face the future with pride, and that people are fitted out with the skills that they need in order to move on. As Members of Parliament, we have an important role to play in our communities. We should be able to ensure that people have access to the schemes that are appropriate for them—that those schemes are clearly signposted. I hope and believe that Labour Members, at least, have been proactive in going out and explaining to local businesses what schemes are available. Of course we are impatient. If one person comes to us who has applied for a mortgage protection scheme and has failed to meet just one of the criteria—not having negative equity, for instance—that is a huge disappointment, although it should not prevent us from fighting to try to ensure that the home of that person and his or her family is secured. Impatience is expressed by Members throughout the House, including—quite rightly—the Opposition; but the Opposition speak as though nothing is being done, which is certainly and absolutely untrue. Business Link has been doing enormously good work in the south-east, carrying out health checks on our businesses to ensure that they are in the best possible position to fight off the recession. It does that work free of charge, providing invaluable advice and help.