Eluned Morgan AM responded to the UK Chancellor’s Spring Budget saying, “The Tory budget last week is just what we’ve come to expect from the UK Government by ‘saying one thing and doing another’. It’ll be especially hard for working families on the lowest incomes in our area, who will be thousands of pounds worse off. That might not even take into account the impact of rising food and fuel prices because of Brexit. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, who are pretty spot on at working out tax and benefit changes affecting families, think that there will be a drop in living standards.
“This is simply unfair on hard-working people. The Tories have broken their election promises of no increases to VAT, income tax or National Insurance, saying they would “harm our economy, reduce living standards and cost jobs”. Now the Tories are doing precisely that. According to the Resolution Foundation, this is set to be the worst decade for pay growth in 210 years.
“Even the Tories’ own MPs have been calling on the Chancellor to scrap the plans, so I’m challenging Tory MPs in the region to vote against this budget. MPs need to stick up for their constituents at a time of great uncertainty in the economy and to send a clear message to Theresa May and Philip Hammond that they intend to put the interests of their constituents first.
“Here in Wales we’re on the side of the self-employed, small businesses and working people. I’ve called on the Labour Welsh Government to develop an economic plan especially for rural Wales. The group I’ve brought together will be presenting the Economy Secretary, Ken Skates with a strategy in late Spring. It’ll be a Made in Rural Wales plan, with new solutions and a realistic view of what is achievable that understands the support that is already available to support jobs and the economy.”
