Today’s Budget saw big wins for the North East, it delivered for millions of households for workers, communities, families and campaigners. We need to be clear that there is a huge amount to celebrate for ordinary people in today’s Budget.
The policies and decisions announced today will benefit low and middle income households the most whilst we have seen tax increases for the most wealthy in society. Whilst not a panacea, the Budget has delivered a lot of what I have been asking for, we finally have a Chancellor who listens to those of us who have been consistently lobbying for what is needed in our North East communities.
From making work pay, to bringing down energy bills, freezing train fares, to investment in young people, the NHS and infrastructure and at long last seeing the back of the vile two child benefit limit there is much to cheer and it will bring much-needed support to hundreds of struggling families in Jarrow and Gateshead East and who isn’t happy that Bingo tax has been abolished!
The lifting of the two child benefit cap will benefit 2610 children in Jarrow and Gateshead East, nationwide 350,000 children will be lifted out of poverty immediately.
Following years of campaigning and our meeting with the Chancellor last night, it was brilliant to hear her say she has taken action to release the £2.3billion for the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme’s miners pension, putting money straight back in the pockets of the hundreds of BCSSS members currently living in Jarrow and Gateshead East.
Further announcements including increasing the National Living Wage, a Mansion Tax, reforms to Gambling tax, freezing rail and bus fare caps, investment into apprenticeships and training, as well as cuts to household energy bills will all have a huge difference on the amount of money in people’s pockets, this comes alongside £1.8 Billion in transport investment for the region, £902 Million Local Growth Fund and much more.
These wins come following lobbying from Members of Parliament, like me, who are consistently challenging Ministers to ensure our constituents are at the centre of these decisions, and I am pleased to see these positive announcements within the Budget.
There is always more to be done, in particular I was disappointed not to hear an announcement on justice around the pensions for Women born in the 1950’s and the range of increases in taxation of wealth are welcome but are not yet enough to tackle the scale of inequality in our society but for the first time in a long while families will start to feel their lives improving again and that is sorely needed.
The Tory opposition benches and their Leader should be ashamed of their responses in the chamber today, barely listening, booing lifting children out of poverty and nasty personal attacks rather than addressing the policies – it really showed the difference in stature and a difference this Labour Government is making in delivering for communities.