Five years ago, Britain was spending and borrowing too much, too many people were out of work and our economy was on its knees. That is why there is a critical choice facing us in May: return to the chaos of the past or stick with a plan that is working and choose a more prosperous future.
This Budget is another step on the road from austerity to prosperity - with support for savers, lower taxes for people in work and a clear plan to make sure Britain pays its way in the world.
I was delighted the Chancellor confirmed that the Personal Tax Free Allowance will continue to rise and local families will be almost £900 a year better off since 2010. This tax cut is excellent news for hardworking local people who are keeping more of the money they have worked hard to earn, giving them and their families more financial security for the future. The Chancellor's ambition is to raise it to £12,500 in the next parliament, but I would like him to go further and raise it to £15,000 per year.
I am passionate about giving a helping hand to people at every stage of their life and the new Help to Buy ISA to help people save for their first deposit, is an amazing result locally. This new ISA will mean for every £200 a first time buyer saves, the government will give a bonus of £50 – up to £3,000. If you save up to £12,000 for the deposit on your first home, then you will get up to £3,000. A great deal for families that will really help make owning your first home a reality.
The new freedoms for existing pensioners who own annuities, freezing fuel duty and cutting beer duty will all help local people enjoy more of the money they have worked hard to earn.
I am proud that this budget helps families and builds on the massive £300 million infrastructure investment I have secured from the Government for our local schools, hospital, housing and jobs. More people are in work than ever before in the UK and with unemployment having halved locally since the last election, it is clear we are continuing to lead the UK economic recovery.
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