Russell criticises Labour over widening wealth gap

12.00.00am GMT Thu 28th Jan 2010

Colchester MP Bob Russell - twice in the space of little more than

15 minutes - today in the House of Commons attacked the Labour Government for presiding over a widening in the gap between the richest and poorest in society.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell called on the Government to hold a debate into a Report of the National Equality Panel, produced by the Government Equalities Office, which gave statistical proof of the Government's failure to tackle poverty and narrow the inequality gap in Britain.

His exchange with the Leader of the House, the Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP, took place circa 12.10pm to 12.11pm.

Mr Russell then spoke on a Point of Order, saying that the Report - "An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK" - was still not available for members, although the national media had been briefed on Tuesday. He suggested that the Government was trying to bury the bad news in a busy news week dominated by Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. The Speaker acknowledged the criticism that the Report was not available in the Vote Office just outside the Chamber to the Commons.

This exchange took place circa 12.26pm to 12.27pm.