Lucy Allan MP looks ahead to the Budget
These are no doubt turbulent times for Government in what can seem like one crisis after another, and that’s before we get on to Brexit.
Many people have expressed admiration for our Prime Minister’s resilience and her ability to keep going and that is exactly what she needs to go on doing. Whatever side of the Brexit debate people are on, and however they may vote in elections, most people want Government to get on with the job both of delivering for the country.
Without doubt what really matters to most people is business, jobs and continued economic growth. So as we approach Budget Day next week, 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.
Manufacturing output is booming, inward investment is flourishing and employment is at an all time high. So I want to see a bold confident budget next week; a budget that incentivised 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. Small businesses take risks and risk should be rewarded. In the same way that the income tax threshold has been raised, I want to see to the threshold at which small business starts to pay VAT raised so that small businesses can really thrive.
This is after all what a Conservative Government is elected to do, boost business, reward hard work and ensure our economy flourishes.
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.
Undoubtedly the distractions have been many, but let’s make sure we continue to focus on what really matters for our future.