Queens' Speech — Economic Growth — 15 May 2013 at 18:47

The majority of MPs voted not to ask the Queen to call on the Government to kickstart the economy, help families with the cost of living and make long-term economic reforms, implement Labour's five point plan for jobs and growth, bring forward long-term infrastructure investment, build 100,000 affordable homes and introduce a compulsory jobs guarantee for the long-term unemployed, legislate for a decarbonisation target for 2030, implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and establish a proper British Investment Bank.’.

MPs were debating a motion:

• That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, as follows:
• Most Gracious Sovereign,
• We, Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Majesty for the Gracious Speech which Your Majesty has addressed to both Houses of Parliament.

The rejected amendment which was the subject of this vote would have added:

• but regret that the Gracious Speech has no answer to a flatlining economy, the rising cost of living and a deficit reduction plan that has stalled, nor does it address the long-term economic challenges Britain faces;
• believe that the priority for the Government now should be growth and jobs and that we need reform of the European Union, not four years of economic uncertainty which legislating now for an in/out referendum in 2017 would create;
• call on your Government to take action now to kickstart the economy, help families with the rising cost of living, and make long-term economic reforms for the future; and
• call on your Government to implement the five point plan for jobs and growth, including bringing forward long-term infrastructure investment, building 100,000 affordable homes and introducing a compulsory jobs guarantee for the long-term unemployed in order to create jobs and help to get the benefits bill and deficit down, legislate now for a decarbonisation target for 2030 in order to give business the certainty it needs to invest, implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards and establish a proper British Investment Bank.’.

The five point plan^[1] referred to has been described (a couple of years before the vote) as:

• 1. 100,000 jobs for young people
• 2. Bring forward investment projects like new school buildings
• 3. Temporarily reverse the VAT rise – a £450 boost for families with children
• 4. Cut VAT on home improvements to 5% for a year
• 5. A tax break for every small firm which takes on extra workers

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• [1] John Robertson MP, November 2011

Debate in Parliament | Source |