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Living Standards

I am grateful to be called to speak in the debate. The Government's failure in economic policy is having a profound effect on our nation, but it is also having a disproportionate impact on regions like the north-east and the poorest in our society. I have every sympathy for the squeezed middle, and many of my constituents are part of it, but I have much greater sympathy for the people who are the battered base in our economy, the very poorest in our society, who the Government's policies are attacking the worst. In March the Government launched their much-heralded ““The Plan for Growth””. In the foreword, the Business Secretary and his new friend the Chancellor stated:"““This Plan for Growth is an urgent call for action. Britain has lost ground in the world's economy, and needs to catch up. If we do not act now, jobs will be lost, our country will become poorer ""and we will find it difficult to afford the public services we all want. If we do not wake up to the world around us, our standard of living will fall, not rise.””"