Treasury and Work and Pensions

I accept that it became quite clear that social deprivation was not a price worth paying. The measures taken by the Conservative Government were not the right ones to take; they destroyed people’s lives and destroyed the economy of this country. To ensure that people are not conned by the Conservatives again, Labour Members must not just sit back; we must have a real policy position based on past results and on a stable economy to give people faith in our ability to deliver. Our past results have been remarkable and we should be proud of them; we should not take any lectures from Conservative Members. We are spending more money than ever before on our pensioners, especially on those who need it most.