Andrew Snowden has slammed Labour's first budget in 15 years, calling it a direct attack on the hardworking people, businesses, farmers and pensioners of Fylde. He called it a ‘budget of broken promises’ after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a series of measures which contradict Labour’s General Election manifesto from earlier this year.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has lowered its growth forecasts, and stated that living standards will be lower as a direct consequence of the decisions in this Budget. Citing concerns about the scale of borrowing and unsustainable tax hikes, Andrew has criticised Labour for abandoning its promises and targeting communities like Fylde with policies that threaten jobs, economic growth, and financial security.
“This Halloween budget is all tricks and no treats. It was filled with broken promises”, Andrew stated.
“The Chancellor tried to conjure up a £22 billion fiscal black hole but even her own Office for Budget Responsibility could only find ‘£9 billion of in-year pressures’ which would have been absorbed and offset by other savings. Given this was all used to justify tax rises of £40 billion, something there is clearly something very spooky in her sums.
“The £25 billion increase in National Insurance Contributions from employers will hit working people directly, a direct betrayal of Labour’s manifesto commitment. Jobs will be put at risk as companies now have to make tough choices between reducing the wage budget or passing higher costs onto consumers. In beautiful coastal areas like Fylde we rely heavily on the tourist industry, and hospitality businesses will suffer with a massively inflated cost of paying staff.
“And in a rural constituency like mine, this budget is throwing our farming communities on the bonfire. The broken promise on Agricultural Property Relief could end family farms as we know them, making it incredibly difficult to pass farmland from one generation to the next. Consumers will feel the impact of this as the cost of food production rises, leading to a double blow for working families.
“Earlier this year, the Labour Party promised the British public over 50 times that they had no plans to raise taxes on working people. Yet here we are—with a budget that takes more from nearly every corner of our community. If you’re an entrepreneur, if you run a small business, a family farm, or if you’re a pensioner, you’ll feel the impact. Even basic services, like taking the bus, are going to cost more."
“This has been budget of broken promises. And I fear it will be Fylde residents who pay the price.”
