Orders of the Day — Unemployment

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 July 1978.

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Photo of Mr Geoffrey Rippon Mr Geoffrey Rippon , Hexham 12:00, 24 July 1978

I wish that the British Government were in a better position to put that argument. If our own record were better we would be more effective. I and my colleagues in the European Parliament have said just that. That is why I am saying now that the Bonn summit does not go far enough, not that it goes too far. The truth is that the British Government have let us wallow in the shallows in Europe and elsewhere for far too long. We should have some sense of pride, purpose, vision and generosity ourselves that would enable us to make to the Germans and others the very criticism that the hon. Gentleman now makes.

Thank heaven, there will soon be a Conservative Government who will be able to show the vision and the generosity and the sense of purpose that alone will enable us to do what the Minister says—play Britain's effective role in an expansion of world trade and so, by contributing to the general growth of the world economy, solve many of our own employment problems.