Her Majesty's Government (Opposition Motion)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 9 June 1976.

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Photo of Mr Russell Fairgrieve Mr Russell Fairgrieve , Aberdeenshire West 12:00, 9 June 1976

It would not be proper for me to start without referring to the remarks made by the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Huges) when he was extolling the virtues of moving towards more Socialism. He talked about lion Curtain States and Eastern European democratic countries. This takes us into the economic argument that we heard from the Labour Benches about a siege economy, control of imports because we cannot face up to competition, and lower living standards for all, provided we are all Socialists.

The end of that road is easy to see. It is the Berlin Wall, which was put up not to stop down-trodden workers from free-enterprise countries getting into Eastern Europe but to stop the serfs of totalitarianism getting out of their Socialist paradise. I am surprised that we have gone on for so long without a censure motion against the Government.

Consider what happened before the February 1974 General Election. There were winks and nods to certain trade union leaders to continue pushing on with wage increases that were bound to lead to inflation. Then the Labour Party bought two elections. We had 30 per cent. wage increases and raging inflation which resulted in unemployment. The Labour Party is now the natural party of high taxation and high unemployment.

We have a £12 billion borrowing requirement and now a £3,000 million standby credit. It is not for me to try to emulate the sensible speech of my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Sir F. Bennett), who informed the House about the view taken of sterling abroad. I would just add that it is not a case of faceless bureaucrats and speculators at work. These same people would be operating against the franc, the deutschemark or the dollar if those currencies were weak. But those currencies are not weak—only the pound is weak.

As my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition said, it is not only financial mismanagement but other forms of mismanagement also for which we condemn the Government. There are the questions of law and order, the closed shop—the right to work or not to work —and irrelevant nationalisation merely for dogmatic reasons, as in aircraft and shipbuilding. All this is being done at a time when the country is facing far more important problems.

I am not blaming the Government entirely, but we are getting in Great Britain a sick society. There is a Chinese proverb that a tree rots from the top. Whether we like it or not, the present Government are the leaders of the country.