Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:02 pm on 14 January 2020.

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Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless Conservative 2:02, 14 January 2020

First Minister, GDP declined by 0.3 per cent in November, and I know that you like to blame Brexit for any weakness in the economy. However, isn't it revealing that we've had some much stronger data since the election? For instance, the Halifax have reported that house prices rose by 4 per cent in December. Deloitte, who surveyed companies' chief financial officers between 13 December, which was, of course, the day after the election, and 6 January, saw their business optimism balance rising from -35 per cent to +45 per cent. They say this constituted, and I quote,

'an unprecedented rise in business sentiment'.

First Minister, isn't it now evident that what was holding the economy back was not the prospect of Brexit, but the prospect of Corbyn?