In response to the Government’s budget, Bradley Thomas said:
“This Budget doesn’t deliver for working people, farmers, small businesses, pubs or pensioners across Bromsgrove and the Villages.
“We know this because today the Government finally came clean and revealed what they were planning to do all along: to raise our taxes and unleash a borrowing spree. Debt, borrowing, taxes, and inflation are all going up under this new Government whilst economic growth is going down.
“It was confirmed this Government has decided to proceed with its cruel tax on education which will punish all pupils no matter if they’re educated in independent or state schools. By charging VAT on independent school fees, this policy will push pupils into the state sector and this Government has no plan to deal with larger class sizes.
“By whacking up National Insurance for employers, it will ultimately be working people who pay the price for this Government’s assault on businesses.
“Hospitality and retail businesses are being punished further too with an increase in business rates. By setting business rate relief at 40%, when it was 75% under the previous Government, our pubs, hospitality and retail businesses will now see their business rate bills going up.
“This Government has broken a clear promise they made to our farmers on Agricultural Property Relief. As the President of the National Farmers Union has said, this policy will ‘snatch away the next generation’s ability to carry on producing British food.’
“There was no mention of the future of the Children’s Hospice Grant in today’s Budget Report. This funding is vital for hospices such as Acorns and I’ve been campaigning to get the Government to guarantee the grant for at least five years and increase it by the rate of inflation every year. I will urgently be seeking answers from the Government on whether or not they will protect and maintain the Children's Hospice Grant that supports so many vulnerable children and their families.
“The Chancellor has also failed to reverse her devastating cuts to Winter Fuel Payments which will force some pensioners in Bromsgrove and the Villages to choose between heating and eating this winter. This Government should be ashamed.
“It is now my role to fight these policies that will hurt working people and businesses in my constituency.”
