THE Government’s insistence on economic growth as a prerequisite for its policy platform was underlined in a House of Lords debate on Monday. Bishops spoke about modern slavery, and the value of co-operation between businesses, civil society, and the State.
Lord Vallance of Balham, who was chief scientific adviser to the Government during the Covid-19 pandemic, made his maiden speech as Minister of State for Science, in the fourth day of debate on last week’s King’s Speech (News, 17 July).
He noted a difference in the way that scientists and politicians respond to the discovery of new evidence pointing to different conclusions; for scientists, it was a cause for celebration, whereas politicians tended to respond with dread at the prospect of having to do a U-turn.
“I look forward to welcoming changes based on scientific findings, advances in technology and innovation,” he said, but emphasised that Labour’s policy plans start with economic stability.
“To put it simply, that means no more unfunded spending commitments. . . Every decision will be shaped by strong fiscal rules designed to deliver a balanced budget and drive down the national debt,” he said.
His opposite number, the Conservative Lord Callanan, said that, given the size of the Government’s majority in the House of Commons, he was “not sure that there will be much critical scrutiny happening” in the Lords.
He commended the Government’s focus on economic growth, but queried the wisdom of legislation requiring the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) to independently assess the financial implications of all new policies.
“Who holds the OBR to account when, as frequently happens, it gets its advice wrong?” Lord Callanan asked: “I have no doubt that criticisms will be made of fiscal policy in the years ahead, but they should be made, in the first instance, in this Parliament.”
The Liberal Democrat Lord Fox said that growth was important, but that ultimately it could come only through private investment. “Unlocking that flow of investment is absolutely crucial,” he said, and “success will depend on getting the balance of government involvement right.”
The Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, began his speech by saying that he was not an economist, and asked the Government to be honest with the public, and communicate clearly, when it came to questions of the economy. “Trust us, and tell us the truth, so that we know what is going on. We need to be treated like adults,” he said.
Bishop Baines spoke about the need for greater investment in infrastructure in the north of England, and questioned why the bosses of water companies were receiving bonuses despite “abject failure”. “This is a moral issue as well as an economic issue,” he said.
Another northern bishop, the Bishop of Newcastle, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, also highlighted regional disparities, and said: “It is essential that the growth we strive for is for the UK in its entirety.”
Along with the Government, she said, businesses, charities, and civic institutions all had a responsibility to foster growth. She referred to the Big River Bakery, in Newcastle, as an example of a business with “a sustainable commercial model partnering with external support, rooted in a deprived local community, and nurturing kindness and compassion in its mission to serve”.
On a larger scale, the Greggs bakery chain served its communities, she said, by distributing grants and establishing breakfast clubs. “How can our Government encourage greater partnership and social responsibility, so that more communities feel the benefits of growth?” she asked.
The Bishop of Bristol, the Rt Revd Vivienne Faull, focused her contribution to the debate on modern slavery, which is an issue about which she has previously written for the Church Times (Comment, 6 March).
“Modern slavery is a crime which affects every community in the UK. It is not a niche issue: it is estimated that 130,000 people are held in modern slavery in our country today,” she said on Monday evening.
Some good work had been done, but immigration laws under the previous government had “put victims of modern slavery at further risk”, she said, asking whether this legislation would be now be undone.
Bishop Faull also expressed concerns that the scramble to fill vacancies in the social-care sector was leading to labour exploitation, referring to reports that almost one in five potential victims contacting the helpline worked in social care.
“To tackle exploitation, we should start by making work visas more flexible so that workers are not trapped in exploitative conditions,” she said.
In a speech at the end of the debate, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Livermore, summarised the new Government’s plan as being founded on “stability, investment, and reform: stability, so we never again see a repeat of the disastrous mini-Budget and the damage it did to family finances; investment, through partnership between a strategic state and enterprising business; and reform, to confront and overcome the barriers to success that have, for too long, held our country back.”