Budget 2017: Time for chancellor to end austerity, says Lucy Allan MP

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond will unveil his plans, expected to take in tax, housing, Brexit and Universal Credit.

Telford MP Lucy Allan said that she hoped to see a “bold, confident” budget, while Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies called for a major boost in housing.

Ms Allan said: “Without doubt what really matters to most people is business, jobs and continued economic growth. So as we approach Budget Day, it is important for the Government to focus on its vision, focus its energy on the agenda for Britian’s future and on how we ensure our economy continues to flourish.

“I want to see a bold confident budget next week; a budget that incentivises and rewards work; a budget that allows people to keep more of the money they earn, that cuts taxes, that takes the low paid out of tax altogether by continuing to raise the threshold at which tax is paid. I also want to see small business incentivised and rewarded. Small businesses are job creators in Telford; we need a budget to support them.

“Equally, it is now time to move on from austerity. Whilst there are many people in the public sector who are well paid and well rewarded for the work they do, there are those at lower income end of the spectrum who are not. This must be addressed. I want to see a pay rise for nurses, firefighters, ambulance workers and all those public sector workers who contribute so much to our society, but are struggling to make ends meet.”

Mr Davies said a boost for housing was well overdue. He said: “For at least a decade, not enough new housing has been made available to meet demand across much of Britain. Not enough new housing is being built in Wales, and not enough new housing is being built in Montgomeryshire. Since the Development Board for Rural Wales was wound up in the 1990s, the number of new housing starts has slowed dramatically. It’s time for action to give more of our young people the chance to own their own house.

“On Budget Day this Wednesday, the Chancellor will propose a series of measures to boost new housing in England. We will see a boost to council building, action to discourage big building companies from hoarding land, and pressure on English councils to streamline planning processes. I support this, but we need to see dramatic measures in Montgomeryshire as well.

“I welcome the recent decision by Powys County Council to build some houses for rent, but we also need to see the release of more land for housebuilding. Building more Council Houses will be a welcome start, but we will need more. The Council needs to release more permissions to build, and use all available powers to prevent land with permission being left undeveloped.At present, our young people cannot afford to buy their first house. We need a revolution in thinking to deliver the housing we need.”

Housing and higher wages needed

Help getting first-time buyers into housing and an increase to the living wage – those are just some of the things that would help make people feel more secure if they were announced.

Residents of Wellington said little things could make all the difference, although nobody was expecting miracles from Philip Hammond.

Among them was Tony Handley, 63, who said more needed to be done to train young people.

“There will be little bits and pieces in the budget but I don’t think there will a lot that will help me,” Mr Handley said. “Unfortunately, it won’t make any difference to my daughter’s lives either.

“I think there needs to be funding for work-based training and education. The problem at the moment is most educators don’t know what we’re supposed to be educating people to do, things are changing so fast. I also think more should be put up for social care.” Rob Norry and Marie Corns are both 29 and have a young child.

For them the biggest issue is making sure there’s enough social housing. “Something to help us with housing would be fantastic,” Marie said. “We’re on the housing list and it’s too crowded. Especially with the little one, we need some more room.”

Stephen Israel, 64, a former college lecturer, said: “I’m worse off than I was a year. You go to the supermarket, the price of everything has gone off. We’re talking about regular stuff: bread, butter and milk.

“My occupational pension hasn’t gone up because of the low inflation. I’m paying more but not getting more.

“We’ve got no future at all. Fortunately I’ve got no grandchildren. I think for young people it’s even bleaker than it is for us.

“I don’t think Hammond will be able to do much about it on Wednesday.”

Taxi driver John Aloli, 55, said he hoped there would be an increase in the living wage.

He said: “If they could make the wage about £8 that would be good. We pay more, but we’re not getting any more and we have families to support.

“That increase would also help. And here if you don’t have money where do you end up? You end up on the streets.”