Tiverton & Honiton MP Neil Parish - Budget Reaction

By Lewis_Clarke | Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 20:39

TIVERTON's MP Neil Parish has given his response to George Osborne's emergency budget earlier today.

George Osborne gave his emergency budget today.

Statement from Neil Parish, Tiverton & Honiton MP :

It was a decisive Budget that will

deal with the record deficit that all of us have inherited from the

previous Labour government. After 13 years in power our deficit is the

largest in Europe and one in every four pounds we spend is being

borrowed.

This budget has been an opportunity to solve past mistakes and plan

for the future.

It was inevitable then that this would

be a tough budget and hard decisions at the Treasury would have to be

made. It is also a budget, however, that it putting the most vulnerable

in society first, such as pensioners and those on a low income.

Devon has a high number of pensioners

and I know many will be pleased to see that the system will finally

be working for them. State pension will once again be linked to

earning and will be uprated so it rises by the highest of earnings,

prices or 2.5% from April 2011. This triple lock will benefit 11 million

pensioners.

There will be a public sector pay

freeze

for 2 years, but the 1.7 million public servants earning less than

£21,000

will be protected. Our servicemen and women will get the break they

deserve with the Operational Allowance doubling for those in the Armed

Forces. There will be medical assessments for the Disability Living

Allowance for all new and existing claimants.

There is plenty of good news for small

businesses here in Devon. There will be a reduction in the small profits

rate of corporation tax to 20%t April 2011, instead of increasing it

to 22% as Labour planned.

We will make it cheaper for companies

to employ people by stopping Labour’s job tax and increasing the

threshold

for employer’s National Insurance Contributions by £21 per week.

As a result the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs will

rise by 650,000.

Most importantly of all, Labour’s

10% levy on cider will be scrapped! The tax was sold as a means of

targeting

binge drinking and anti-social behaviour but they really missed the

mark. The quality cider made in Devon is integral part of West Country

identity and has nothing to do with anti-social behaviour. It is the

quasi-cider sold in supermarkets at ridiculously low prices that are

fuelling binge drinking and this needs to be looked at. Scrapping the

cider tax will give our cider houses and apple growers a much needed

break.

Labour says that we are being reckless

with these cuts. But what would be really reckless would be to let our

budget deficit spiral out of control. That would’ve really scuppered

the economy. If we had followed Labour's plans we would be waiting for

the recovery until the cows come home, something I am very familiar

with.

What did you think of the budget? Leave your comments below.

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Comments

The Charity I support is in danger of having to close up. (Jan 2011) This supports Families; mainly Single Mothers and their Children. So back to Tory attitudes,"It's there own fault". We do have enough money for such groups, you chose not to accept this. Ideal at blaming the previous Government, stupid as they were.

Then we will have to grovel for Tiverton High School, actually having a Minister to visit. Just say yes and better if the travel cost were saved towards the needs of the school.

By speedboatone at 16:30 on 12/11/10
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Tax on wine would have achieved very little for the low paid. Our, local wine, good as it is, could help to drown the sorrows

Local MP friend of a Dr Steele who advertises against the NHS

By speedboatone at 09:25 on 30/07/10
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Yes our local wine (As good as it is ) will not benefit the low wage. Come to think of it; it could well help when they are feeling 'down & bout'.

A big help taxing imported booze.

By speedboatone at 09:21 on 30/07/10
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It would be good to see our new MP responding to comments on this page.
I have met Mr Parish recently when he ran a surgery in Tiverton and found him responsive to my suggestion that he advocates an improved bus service from Stagecoach.
As a new MP he will need time to find his feet so it is obvious that some of this site's more outspoken contributors will be dissatisfied as they have unrealistic expectations that he can influence policy by the new coalition government.
Give him time. We all know the date of the next general election already including Mr Parish! I hope that as he gains experience in Westminster politics he will become a persuasive advocate on behalf of our Tiverton electorate long before the intended five year term of this Parliament runs out.

By JohnNorfolk at 22:21 on 29/07/10
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See what has now been cut ???

By speedboatone at 16:32 on 29/07/10
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