Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 24 July 1978.
The hon. Gentleman gives the game away. The position would be like that in California, with the so-called revolt of those paying taxes, then further cuts in public expenditure and a crisis in which all public services are eliminated. Is that Conservative Party policy? It is no solution. The answer is to be found along the lines that my hon. Friends and I have been arguing for a long time.
Despite the present unemployment levels, there are now more than 500,000 more jobs than there were in 1972, despite the fact that the population has risen by only 80,000, so we find an increase of employment of about one in 100.
We are in a crisis—part of the world capitalist crisis. It is not the Labour Government's responsibility. It would have been worse but for a Labour Government. I have been a critic of this Government and I shall continue to be a critic when they carry out Conservative policies. When they do not, we can get to grips with the problem. I trust that the next Labour Government will listen far more to us on the Labour Benches than this Government have listened to Conservative Members.