Proceeding contribution from Chris Bryant (Labour) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 10 June 2009. It occurred during Opposition day on Dissolution of Parliament.
Dissolution of Parliament
No, I will not give way, if the hon. Gentleman does not mind, because I have very little time. I want to address some of the issues that have been raised by the nationalists. They pretend in political life, and yet we all know the truth that lies behind it. What is the truth in this case? They do not expect to form a Government if there is a general election. They are not intending to put up candidates across every seat in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. They have no intention of forming a Government of their own—they want to get rid of this Government to put in that lot, the Conservatives, and they should be honest to the House about it. [Interruption.] Yes, absolutely—the right hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) and his friends should look carefully at where they are getting the cheers from. We know that that is the truth, because the nationalists have a record on this. Just look at 1979—they did exactly the same then. Look at 1993, when they propped up a discredited Government. The truth is that they are so obsessed with independence that that is the only thing they will ever see. Of course, the leader of their party—the leader in Scotland—could perfectly well have been in Scotland today voting on reform of the rape law; instead, he has decided to sit in here and smirk like a Cheshire cat so that he gets on television behind the leader of Plaid Cymru. Where were they when it came to minimum wage? None of them even bothered to turn up, and yet they try to pretend that they believe in things—[Interruption.]
Secondary information
- Type
- Proceeding contribution
- Reference
- 493 c899
- Session
- 2008-09
- Chamber / Committee
- House of Commons chamber
- Subjects
- Allowances Devolution Elections Expenditure Dissolution Members Parliament Scotland Reform Wales
- Link
- View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk
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- 2024-04-21 11:57:24 +0100
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