The local Liberal Democrats have slammed the Spring Statement as a "massive missed opportunity" to help families in Milton Keynes.
Following yesterday's (23/3) Spring Statement announcement, local Liberal Democrats have stated that families in Milton Keynes will have to 'pay the price for Chancellor's failure'.
The announcement, which has been welcomed by Milton Keynes MPs Ben Everitt and Iain Stewart, included measures such as:
- Slashing fuel duty by 5p for twelve months
- Rising the National Insurance personal threshold from £9,500 to £12,570 from July
- Helping people keep more of what they earn by cutting the basic rate of income tax to 19 pence in 2024
- Raising the employment allowance to £5,000
- Doubling the existing Household Support Fund to £1 billion
The local Liberal Democrat party has called for the standard rate of VAT to be reduced from 20% to 17.5% for one year.
They said that the Chancellor's "lacklustre Spring Statement" 'failed to adequately protect local families from soaring bills and the Conservatives' worsening cost of living crisis'.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Robin Bradburn, Group Leader on Milton Keynes Council, said: "People across our community were looking to Rishi Sunak today for a helping hand in facing this once in a generation cost of living crisis. Eye-watering price hikes are leaving many in Milton Keynes struggling to make ends meet.
"This was crunch time for the Chancellor and the Conservatives, and they haven't stepped up to the mark. It's families in Milton Keynes who they have clobbered with unfair tax hikes who will pay the price for this massive missed opportunity.
"Rishi Sunak should stop putting his pride over people, scrap his punishing tax hikes, and back Liberal Democrat calls for an emergency cut to VAT. This would put £48,660,000 back into the pockets of 81,100 households in our area and support our local shops, cafes and restaurants."
