MP, Labour’s Shadow
Chancellor, responding to the Budget, said:
"This is a ‘nothing has changed’ Budget from an out-of-touch
Government with no idea of the reality of people’s lives and no
plan to improve them.
“ has completely failed
to recognise the scale of the emergency in our public
services.
“Today's Budget has found no meaningful funding for our schools
still facing their first real terms funding cuts since the
mid-90s and nothing even approaching the scale needed to address
the crisis in our NHS or local government.
“For all the fanfare on housing, today saw more tinkering in
place of decisive action, with only one third of funding
announced today genuinely new. The Chancellor announced no
measures to directly increase house-building and, without that,
lifting stamp duty for some will only drive up prices and benefit
sellers, as the OBR have acknowledged.
“The Government's rollout of Universal Credit is causing real
suffering in our communities. Today rather than the halt the
botched rollout and fix the failing system, the Chancellor has
put back £1 for every £10 cut from the system. Today all the
Chancellor could offer those struggling with debt and rent
arrears is further debt.
“Economic growth is the lowest it has been since the Tories came
into office and today’s Budget confirms that failure, with growth
and wage forecasts revised down in every year of the forecast. If
the Government cannot address the scale of the challenges facing
our economy they should stand aside for a Labour government that
will."
