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Proceeding contribution from Ed Balls (Labour) in the House of Commons on Thursday, 20 March 2014. It occurred during Budget debate on Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation.


Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

The problem is that they are all worse off because VAT went up to 20%. Is the hon. Lady worried that in her constituency there has been a 600% rise in long-term youth unemployment since 2010, which she is doing nothing about? As for the idea that class war will not wash, if I were the Chancellor I would try to find a different way to take on Boris, as I do not think this way will work.

There is a cost of living crisis, we do not have a balanced recovery, and all this complacent Chancellor does is play party politics in the Tory party. What a mess—a right old Eton mess! Surely we can do better than this. This was the Chancellor’s last chance, his final opportunity to tackle the cost of living crisis and make decisions that will directly affect people before next year, and he has blown it. Working people will be worse off in 2015 than they were in 2010, and the country now knows, especially after today’s patronising “them and us” advert for the Conservative party, that it will take a Labour Budget to put things right.

1.57 pm


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
577 c968 
Session
2013-14
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Annuities Beer Bingo Housing benefit Excise duties Personal savings Pensions Young people Reform Social rented housing Tax rates and bands Unemployment Cost of living Office for Budget Responsibility Budget March 2014
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk