Andrew Miller, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, says that the coalition Government’s Budget will risk local jobs and recovery. 

Mr Miller said:

“The Government has broken its promises by raising VAT, everyone will pay more, but the poorest will be hit hardest.  Before the Election both David Cameron and Nick Clegg vowed that increasing VAT was not part of their agenda.   David Cameron actually said (1/4/10) "What we can say is we've set out our plans, and our plans involve cutting wasteful spending and stopping the National Insurance rise. Our plans don't involve an increase in VAT” while Nick Clegg (8/4/10) promised that the “Liberal Democrats have costed, in full, our proposals for tax cuts. We can tell you, penny for penny, pound for pound, who pays for them. We will not have to raise VAT to deliver our promises. The Conservatives will. Let me repeat that: Our plans do not require a rise in VAT. The Tory plans do”.  So much for promises!

“The Government’s own Office of Budget Responsibility says unemployment is now set to rise by tens of thousands more thanks to the measures announced by George Osborne.

“Families will lose out, with those on low and middle incomes losing their tax credits, and Child Benefit cut by £129/year for over 7 million families.  The Chancellor did have a choice, the Government could have protected people from losing their jobs and gone for economic growth, but he made the wrong choice. This Budget will hit growth and jobs by cutting back Government support for the economy too quickly.

“The Government is risking the recovery, and people in Ellesmere Port and Neston will pay the price.  Once again a Tory Government thinks that unemployment is a price worth paying and the Liberal Democrats have betrayed the people that voted for them at the last election as they are propping up a Tory Government that is attacking jobs and economic growth.”

Ends
23rd June 2010