Welsh Affairs

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 5:23 pm on 5 March 2001.

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Photo of Nigel Evans Nigel Evans Vice-Chair, Conservative Party 5:23, 5 March 2001

I think that that was a distinct no. We may be only days away from the announcement of a general election. Labour want to run the campaign with spin and technology from Millbank. The Prime Minister is running away from the Leader of the Opposition. It is sad that the Secretary of State has not accepted my invitation.

The Government have badly let down many people, whether they be students, pensioners, farmers, workers in manufacturing industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, those waiting for an operation, those in growing class sizes in secondary schools or those suffering teacher shortages. The Government say, "Please trust us with your currency. We will have a referendum to decide the future of the pound." No one will trust our currency to a referendum run by the Government, because no one trusts them any more. People are disillusioned and have seen so much given away in the past. At the next election, with the Leader of the Opposition, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond, Yorks, we will have an opportunity to give our country back to the people of Britain and Wales.