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Finance Bill

My hon. Friend is quite right. The Conservative party certainly does not have much of a clue. I want to respond to the speech made by the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire (Mr. Gauke). I can assure him that by breakfast tomorrow he will be a household name in the highlands and islands. I certainly worry that one or two of my constituents might have a seizure when they read the local paper tomorrow over their porridge or their cornflakes. When they read his comments about the price of beer in London, they will be absolutely outraged, and rightly so. A former Economic Secretary to the Treasury—I cannot remember his constituency, but we all know who he is—made exactly the same comment when he replied to a similar debate three or four years ago. He quickly became a household name throughout the highlands and islands and his name is still greeted with outrage. I always encourage people to visit the highlands and islands on holiday, but perhaps the hon. Member for South-West Hertfordshire would be well advised to stay away. He might well get an abusive phone call tomorrow from his fellow party members on his party's European list in Scotland. The Conservatives offered us nothing and, despite their sympathy, the Government have offered us nothing.