Daily Telegraph – 21 December 1999

Shaun Woodward claims not to have changed his political views despite changing his party allegiance (Alice Thomson interview, December 20). Here are some examples of those views expressed in Parliament:

•  "the Budget has as its centrepiece, like all Labour Budgets before it, the desire to raise taxes. It has introduced at least 10 new taxes ... At best, Labour has breached the spirit of its General Election pledge not to increase the tax burden on the middle classes." (Maiden Speech, July 2, 1997)
   
• "The Government could have taken many opportunities to help this country, but they did not do so--undoubtedly because the focus groups did not reveal to the Chancellor and the Prime Minister that the time was right ... Step by step the Government are betraying each of their promises." (March 18, 1998)
   
• "The Chief Secretary spoke of inheriting a mess. The truth is that it is the Labour Government who are creating a mess ... the Government have broken their promise to the people of this country to find the extra money that they said would be found for the Health Service ... This is a bad [Finance] Bill and a deceptive one, whose detail betrays the fact that the Government are not ambitious for Britain--and certainly not for a single Britain – but ambitious for power and ambitious to get their hands on the people's money." (April 21, 1998)
   
• "He [Gordon Brown] pretends to be an iron Chancellor, but he is in reality in the vein of old Labour Chancellors. He wants to spend, spend, spend ... The Chancellor does nothing but allow the economy to slide into downturn or recession." (June 29, 1998)

Dr JULIAN LEWIS MP
Cadnam, Hampshire