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Finance Bill

We have discussed many times whether there should have been more candour on the part of all three Front-Bench spokespersons during the election. There was not, and we are where we are. I can only answer for what I said in my own election campaign. Bristol West had many election debates, and this topic and the question of how to deal with the financial crisis came up many times. I never ruled out a rise in VAT because I knew that after the election, a responsible Government—I hoped my party would be part of that, and I am delighted that it is—would probably have to face up to that very difficult decision.