Orders of the Day — 5. Tax Rebates for Exports

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 11 November 1964.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Arthur Lewis Mr Arthur Lewis , West Ham North 12:00, 11 November 1964

I am coming to that. When the hon. Gentleman spoke, he unwittingly hit the nail on the head when he said that we had to have the election this October. We did not. We could have had it last October, last February or last June. But there were reasons why there was no election last October or earlier this year, and I shall remind the Committee of them.

Before doing so, however, I wish to congratulate my right hon. Friend the Chancellor on his Budget proposals. I am sure that he will remember this as a great day in his personal career, and we shall remember it as a great political occasion. I pay a sincere tribute, a birthday tribute, also to the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition. I am sorry that he is not here to receive it. It may be forgotten that this is his birthday, the day on which he was wangled into leadership of the Opposition. That was why we never had the election last October, of course. Today is the right hon. Gentle- man's day, and I wish him a happy birthday. May he have many more happy years in occupation of that seat as Leader of the Opposition. He is the best Leader of the Opposition we have.