The Economy

I do not know what position my hon. Friend took against the 1981 Budget, but all that I can say is that that Budget, which was opposed by Labour Members, started the rebuilding of the British economy, much as we are doing now. I was not planning to speak today, but I entered the Members' Lobby and looked at the Opposition's motion on the Order Paper, which is entitled, ““The economy one year since the Government's first Budget””. I thought, ““That's brave of them, to pick a fight on this, but I'll give them a chance.”” I read on and thought, ““This will be amusing.”” The motions says:"““That this House notes that on 22 June 2010””—" there is a preamble, and we agree with that bit, because there was an excellent Budget this time last year—and it continues:"““further notes that over the last six months””." I thought, ““Hang on a minute. I thought we were talking about after a year,”” but they have chosen six months for the economic growth figures. Why six months? It is because over a year the economy has grown, has it not? Already, in the terms of their own motion, the Opposition are failing, because they have to pick a six-month figure. Do hon. Members know why they pick that period? My hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel) talked earlier about businesses. Her parents run a business in my constituency. She understands businesses. She understands that, with a difficult start-up, some weeks are not as good as others and that things are rocky and choppy. Not many Opposition Members have ever seen a balance sheet or a profit-and-loss account in their lives, and that is why they might not understand what she explained earlier. That is why, after a year, the economy is growing—but after six months, it was flat, because we are having a choppy recovery, as the Chancellor said.