The opposition spokesperson said that the UK Government hadn't perhaps explained its plans properly and they could have explained it better. Well, the Conservatives will have plenty of time over the autumn and winter to explain themselves and explain their party's policies to people who will be struggling as a direct result of their party's mismanagement of the economy and its wrong priorities.

You cannot think that it is right that 90 per cent of the gains that were made on Friday go to the top 50 per cent of people in Wales. You can't think it's right that 40 per cent of the gains go to those households in the top 10 per cent of the income distribution in a cost-of-living crisis. It is people who are struggling who need support. Of course, the Conservatives say they want people to have a better life. Well, the Labour Party wants to help people get that better life. We don't just want them to sit there aspiring for more, we want to help people achieve their potential, and you see that through all of the policies that we introduce here. We clearly have a completely different aspiration for people. We want to support people to achieve their full potential. 

The Member asks what would we have done differently. I wrote to the Chancellor ahead of his fiscal statement last week and I set out exactly what we wanted to hear from him. We urged action to address the significant gaps in support for vulnerable households, families, businesses and the delivery of public services. We suggested the removal of the benefit cap and the punitive two-child limit to support families and give children the best start in life. We talked earlier in the Chamber about the importance of housing, so I asked that they increase the local housing allowance rates and funding for discretionary housing payments, to prevent a significant number of people being homeless as a result of rent arrears.

I also asked for additional funding to meet the pressures faced by public services, for supporting fair pay rises across the public sector, and to target those windfall gains in the energy sector, rather than passing on the cost to households through higher borrowing. I said that they should provide urgent clarity on the six-month price cap for businesses and public sector organisations for energy. And what happens after the first six months? Nothing on that. And we said that they need to boost economic growth, and provide a capital stimulus package and address the historic underinvestment in Wales by the UK Government in rail and in research and development. Nothing on any of that either. So, I think that if the UK Government had just taken a few of those steps that we suggested to them, we would have seen a much better package on the part of the UK Government.

The Member talks about national insurance contributions. Well, who gains from those?  The tax changes announced are highly regressive. The Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis has found that the lowest paid workers in Wales stand to gain just 63p a month, 3p a day, from this, in terms of the national insurance rise, while the richest could get back £150 a month. I mean, where is the fairness in that? It was a deeply unfair, regressive budget, and I'm very surprised that there is any Conservative in this place who will stand on their feet and defend it.