Christopher Fraser, MP for South West Norfolk, has slammed this year’s Budget as bad news for families, business and those on fixed income, including pensioners.
Christopher Fraser said, “This budget will add at least £110 a year to the tax bill for every family at a time when food, fuel and housing costs are rising way above the official inflation figures. My constituents are paying for the Government’s failure to use the good years to prepare for the bad ones. The cupboard is bare. Other countries are cutting tax, but this Labour Government has no room for manoeuvre. Between them, the Chancellor and the Prime Minister are adding to the highest UK tax burden in history, despite the struggling economy and the difficulty people already face in making ends meet. They are reducing self-reliance and forcing more people to be dependent on the State.
“Alistair Darling failed to mention the fact that in his last Budget in 2007, Gordon Brown abolished the 10 per cent tax band, meaning that 5.3 million of the lowest paid workers will be worse off from next month, including essential workers and many older people who have saved for a small pension.
“It is a bad budget for enterprise and will do nothing to address the 9 out of 10 businesses who have lost confidence in Labour. I wonder whether the speech was written by Gordon Brown – yet again, there is bad news buried in the small print. Businesses will pay an extra £1.7bn in taxes over the next 3 years. This comes on top of the 80% increase in CGT for entrepreneurs, an increase in small business corporation tax and a host of other tax increases.
“There is an extra burden of £1.6bn on drivers, even with the delayed fuel tax rise. The budget does nothing to keep post offices open, and nothing to help the rural economy. Even the cost of a pint or a glass of wine at the end of a day’s work has increased well over inflation, penalising sensible drinkers who do not subscribe to the culture of alcohol abuse.
“Borrowing figures confirmed today that after fifteen years of global growth, the UK has the worst deficit in the developed world. The Government has failed our country and Gordon Brown should take responsibility.”
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