Last week we had the first Labour Budget in 14 years. The big question for me was what will it mean for Altrincham and Sale West?
People here voted for change and the Chancellor delivered it.
On the NHS, we saw the biggest cash boost to our health service, outside of Covid, since 2010.
A welcome change after 14 years of Conservative failings led to the closure of Altrincham Minor Injuries Unit and pushed our local hospitals and GP services to the brink.
£25 billion of extra funding, alongside reforms to modernise the NHS and make it more efficient will mean falling waiting lists at Wythenshawe hospital, an end to the 9am scramble for a GP appointment, and the new scanners and diagnostic equipment local health services so badly need.
On education, 72 per cent of schools in Altrincham and Sale West saw their funding cut under the Tory Government.
Labour is choosing to invest in our children’s future instead, with new funding to hire 6,500 teachers, rebuild crumbling schools and deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school so no child starts the day too hungry to learn.
Locally, I know the crisis in special educational needs provision is a huge worry. I’ve campaigned in Westminster for additional funding, and I was delighted to see a £1billion package announced to transform SEN services.
This was a budget that listened to communities like ours. I’ve lost count of the number of residents who have contacted me about the state of local roads.
Councils like Trafford have never been given the money they need to tackle this problem, but that started to change last week, with £500 million of funding for road repairs and filling in potholes.
Of course, higher spending must be paid for, and financial stability must be protected. That means tough decisions on tax.
Under Labour, larger businesses and the richest will pay more to help rebuild our shattered public services.
We don’t deny that increasing employer contributions to National Insurance is a tough decision, but the smaller businesses that make up Altrincham high street will be supported with a more generous Employment Allowance which will mean that 865,000 smaller employers won’t pay any National Insurance next year.
Crucially, there will be no increases to the Income Tax, National insurance or VAT that working people in Altrincham and Sale West pay.
Government demands difficult decisions, so when opposition parties criticise these decisions, they should be willing to say that they would do differently.
If they oppose last week’s investment, how would they bring down waiting lists at Wythenshawe, fund our schools, or repair our infrastructure?
Labour was elected to solve these problems and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
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