A more secure future: A Spring Statement delivering national renewal
A statement from Callum Anderson MP on today’s Spring Statement
As your Member of Parliament – and as someone spent the best part of a decade working at the heart of the UK and global financial markets at the London Stock Exchange Group and the City of London Corporation – making sure that the UK has both sustainable public finances and a long-term economic growth strategy is important to me. I am also fully aware of the dire economic inheritance our Labour Government took on in July last year.
Local families and businesses in the towns, villages and city that I represent are still feeling the effects of 14 years of Conservative economic mismanagement. They feel it in their energy bills, their mortgages, their rent, and their weekly food shop. The Chancellor is right when she says we must continue to act decisively to secure a stable and more prosperous future.
This Labour Government was elected on a promise of delivering a decade of national renewal. And, while we were clear that this would never be easy and that sobering choices would need to be made, we are already forging a path for growth that will boost living standards, improve public services and make UK business globally competitive.
Stability and economic security
Without economic stability, working people pay the price. When prices of the goods and services we buy spiral out of control and mortgages rise, people lose hope, while business and investors lose confidence.
Today’s announcements from the Chancellor mark an important step towards restoring fiscal stability, and we are forecast to meet our stability and investment rules two years early.
Investing in public services
Labour has already begun the work of rebuilding our public services, and today’s statement builds on that progress.
We have seen waiting lists in the NHS decrease for five consecutive months, and we are committed to ensuring that the needs of communities are met. This includes securing long-term funding for health, education, and local services that are crucial for families in Buckingham and Bletchley.
Helping people achieve dignity with a job
Labour is the party of work. We believe that if you can work, you should work, and if you can’t, you should be properly supported.
The welfare system we inherited was broken, with too many young people across the country falling out of education, training, and employment. Labour is determined to change that by investing £1.4 billion into support programmes to help people get back on track.
Our reforms will focus on making the system more sustainable, whilst protecting the most vulnerable, and giving more people the opportunity to succeed.
Fair taxes for working people
We believe that people should keep as much of their own money as possible. That’s why the Chancellor made it clear: there will be no tax hikes, but we will go further to make sure everyone contributes what they owe by tackling tax evasion to raise an additional £1 billion.
Our local families and small businesses deserve the assurance that their hard-earned money is being used to fund services which benefit them, not lost through loopholes and evasion.
Investing in local infrastructure
We are also committed to investing in local infrastructure, ensuring that day-to-day spending on essential services remains protected.
Unlike the Conservative government’s cuts, we will increase capital spending to create jobs and support growth. We are building the infrastructure we need to thrive in the future.
Housing and growth
The housing crisis remains one of the most pressing issues facing families in Buckinghamshire and Bletchley, and this is something I’ve written about previously.
Labour’s ambitious planning and infrastructure reforms aim to get Britain building again, addressing the housing shortage that has left too many families struggling to find affordable homes. Building more homes has an additional benefit of adding up to £15 billion to the economy over the next decade.
Looking Ahead
The work of change is far from over, but today’s Spring Statement is a vital step forward. With the economy stabilising, welfare reforms underway, and increased investment in public services, we are building a more secure and prosperous future for everyone.
