107.8 Radio Jackie - Bulletins aired each hour

Wednesday, 15 March 2023

Sir Ed Davey Lib Dem leader and MP for Kingston and Surbiton has said “The Budget shows the Conservative Party is so out of touch they might as well be living on another planet.

The chancellor’s made removing the barriers to work one of the main aims of his Budget.

He's promising working parents in England up to 30 hours of free childcare a week from when their toddler is 9 months old to when they start school.

That policy, to be phased in over the next two-and-a-half years, is designed to get more mums returning to the workforce.

There were other measures to get disabled people, the long-term sick and older people into jobs too.

But one of those measures has caused controversy.

People usually pay tax if their pension pot is worth more than the so-called lifetime allowance, which stood at over a million pounds.

But that’s being scrapped, a move Labour's calling a "permanent tax cut" for the wealthy.

The Chancellor's taken away the lifetime pension allowance - meaning an unlimited amount of money can be put into a pot over a career, with no additional tax.

Fuel duty's being frozen.

While the help with your energy bill is staying as it is for three months longer – instead of coming down.

But you will pay more for cigarettes from August when they go up in line with inflation - as will alcohol duty, an increase described as an "historic blow" by the Scottish Whisky Association.

There is one exception with the rate on drinks sold on draught in pubs, being 11p lower than it will be on products in supermarkets.

The Chancellor’s said the UK is expected to avoid a recession this year – with inflation falling faster than expected.

 Mr Davey went on to say:

“Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak had a chance to show they care about the cost-of-living crisis that’s hitting millions of Britain’s families and pensioners but they failed miserably. 

 “People are desperate for real help especially a cut to their energy bills - but all the Chancellor could offer is empty words and more unfair tax hikes. 

 “We also saw a total failure to invest in fixing our crumbling hospitals and supporting local health services.

 It shows the Conservative Party doesn’t understand that you can’t get Britain 'back to work' without fixing the crisis in our NHS and social care.”

posted by Radio Jackie News Team @ 10:00 pm