MP Steve Brine gives thumbs up to Budget designed to revive UK economy and support local families. See your MPs reaction in full.
Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP Steve Brine has welcomed the Government's Budget with its plan to reform the economy to support jobs and growth, and to take steps to help families with the cost of living – including an immediate cut in fuel duty.
Key measures in the Budget to boost growth include:
- Tax cuts for businesses and entrepreneurs
- Scrapping burdensome regulations
- Radical reform of the planning system
- New investment in science and innovation; and
- More support for young people with additional apprenticeships and work experience places.
To help families facing the rising cost of living, the Budget also will:
- Immediately cut fuel duty by 1 pence per litre and delay April's inflation rise in duty to next January. This means fuel duty is 6 pence lower than it would be under Labour.
- Introduce a Fair Fuel Stabiliser to tax oil companies more to stop above inflation rises in fuel duty.
- Increase the Personal Allowance from by a further £630 from April 2012. That's another real increase of £48 extra per year, or £126 in cash terms. Together with this year's rise, that means a total of £326 extra each year for those working hard to support their families. And it means, just ten months into office, this coalition Government has taken 1.1 million low paid people out of tax altogether.
Speaking from Westminster immediately after Chancellor George Osborne had sat down, Steve Brine said; "Last year's Budget brought Britain back from the brink of bankruptcy. The Government is right to stick to the plan to get Britain living within her means and I am delighted that the Chancellor didn't have to come back for more.
"For me this Budget is about reforming the economy to ensure jobs and growth and doing what we can to help local families with the cost of living. I think local businesses will welcome the further reductions announced in corporation tax and an extension of the small business rate relief holiday until October 2012. I was among many MPs who have long argued for the return of 'Enterprise Zones' and I will be speaking to local business leaders right away to make sure this area comes forward with a strong proposal to be one of the ten new areas to be announced this Summer.
"I think the people I represent will be very pleased to see a further increase in the personal tax allowance which lifts more people out income tax altogether without creating any more higher rate taxpayers and they will certainly welcome a new shared equity scheme to help them get onto the housing ladder. The cut in petrol duty was very welcome for my family and many thousands I represent. I hope charities in Winchester & Chandler's Ford will be as pleased as I was to hear of the reform of Gift Aid and all the measures we are taking to greatly increase the culture of giving.
"Finally, I was delighted to hear of tough new measures to crack down on unfair tax avoidance we cannot afford and above all, to hear the Chancellor say we are sticking to the plan which will put the public finances back on track and give this country a fighting chance of long-term recovery."
More information ...
Read more about Budget 2011, watch/read the statement in full and download supported documents here.
Steve Brine writes for this website on Budget 2011 here.