Alison Taylor

I could not agree more. The Scottish Government have cut the budgets of local authorities in Scotland for the past 20 years. I like to go out and do litter picks, and we have some good litter-picking initiatives in Renfrewshire. I encourage everyone in the community to do that, because it at least makes people feel like they are making a difference. We build on strong foundations—strong Labour foundations—unlike the local cowboy who builds on quicksand. The Government’s programme will take time, but it will have positive effects for communities up and down the country, providing greater immediate support to help young people find the education and training opportunities that they need to fulfil their potential. The programme will also continue the promise of long-term economic growth based on strategic investment in housing and infrastructure. There is still a great deal to be done. Great British businesses, large and small, should be able to thrive under this Government, and helping them to overcome the obstacles and barriers that they face should always be part of our strategy for growth. Do not think for a minute, Madam Deputy Speaker, that that simply means agreeing with whatever business asks for. It means a realistic engagement with businesses, and an awareness of the pressures that they face. From my own experience of running a small business, I understand the choices that people make in starting and building their businesses. I know something of the struggles that they face to get money that is owed to them and to meet myriad costs, not least those of paying staff and suppliers. I welcome the changes proposed in respect of late payment and procurement to assist small business owners. I empathise with entrepreneurs who are working hard to build something and to employ people, and who are willing to take the risk to build a business. In my constituency, as in many others, small businesses are an important part of the local community, but building a successful business is predicated on much of the social fabric and infrastructure that we in the UK take for granted. We need transport infrastructure, and public transport for workers and customers. We need economic growth, and customers with the disposable income that enables them to buy our goods and services. Those things do not just happen by accident. The Gracious Speech makes clear this Government’s commitment to building a thriving economy, because people need that to do business, and so does society at large. The choice is not between “good for business” and “good for workers”; it is between “good for society” and long-term decline. On this side of the House, we want to build a future for everyone.