I should, in the interests of probity, place on record the fact that my wife works for Age Scotland. I declare that interest.
The contrast between the two sums of money that we are debating has been mentioned several times. There is the £3 billion of tax cuts for millionaires’ row, versus the £3 billion by which our pensioners will be worse off as a result of the punitive measures employed by Liberal Democrat and Conservative Members. Personal allowances for the over-65s, our golden generation, are to be cut in real terms in the coming year. As several hon. Members have mentioned, that will mean that a pensioner who turns 65 in the next year will be up to £323 a year worse off. In these hard-pressed times, with the rising cost of living, rising energy and water prices and the flatlining of their savings, they can ill afford to pay that tax. It is worth contrasting their situation with that of the people who will be the greatest beneficiaries of the Government’s decisions.
I know that many Members are fans of a popular US television programme called “The West Wing”. For hon. Members who do not own a television, let me explain that it is about a wonderful Democrat politician, whom Members of all parties might aspire to be, who is pitted against a mad, right-wing Republican Congress that pursues more and more absurd policies. Even “The West Wing” could not countenance the idea that in a time of austerity, when deficits have to be reduced, a right-wing party—or the two right-wing Government parties—would call for tax cuts for the very wealthiest. Even Speaker Haffley in “The West Wing” would not support such ludicrous so-called economics.
8.45 pm
Much has been made of how the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats get along. We have heard many stories of the infamous quad—the Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and their servant, the Deputy Prime Minister—drinking whisky late at night to celebrate putting the Budget to bed. Perhaps if they had spent a little less time on the drams and a little more on the details, they would not have ended up in this absurd situation. We have heard
allegations that Prime Ministers of previous Governments were not always aware of the detail of a Budget, but I do not recall a Chancellor who was not aware of it. We have seen time after time in debates on this Bill, and in U-turn after U-turn, that this Chancellor is unaware of that detail. As my hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle) said last week at business questions, perhaps next year’s Budget should be written in pencil so we can save time by simply rubbing out the changes.
In that spirit, I hope the Minister sees sense, having heard eloquent arguments from Opposition Members and the lack of arguments offered by Government Members.