Here is the Parliamentary Secretary for the Treasury Lord Pitt-Watson admitting at the despatch box yesterday that Labour’s national insurance hikes have been a hammer blow to hospitality:
“They have seen rising costs, some of those to do with national insurance, many of them to do with rising food costs, rising labour costs…”
At least he’s honest about it. He also praises the sector for putting up with his own party’s decisions, as if they had a choice…
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”