The Commons touch - Gemma Doyle MP

Published 14 Jul 2010 13:00

In June we had an Emergency Budget from the new Tory and Lib Dem Government.

This is a reckless budget which risks West Dunbartonshire's jobs and economic recovery.

The new Government broke its promises by raising VAT to 20 per cent.

Everyone will pay more, but the least well off will be hit hardest.

Incredibly, the Government's own Office of Budget Responsibility says unemployment is now set to rise by tens of thousands of pounds more thanks to George Osborne's measures.

Families will lose out.

Many are set to lose their Tax Credits - pregnancy grants for new mums are being scrapped and the freeze in Child Benefit equates to a cut of £129 a year for almost 12,000 families in West Dunbartonshire.

Plans also include cutting support for disabled people and slashing housing support.

Throughout the last few weeks we have heard shameful attacks from the Government benches on the public sector.

This is the same old Tories.

There was a choice to be made in this Budget.

The Government could have protected people from losing their jobs and supported economic growth but it did not and it has made the wrong choice.

This Budget will hit growth and jobs by cutting back Government support for the economy too quickly.

The respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that the Tory cuts are more likely to hurt households on lower incomes than those on higher incomes, despite the Government protesting otherwise, and the IFS also warned that a large number of working people could be facing a higher tax bill.

This Government is risking the recovery.

People in West Dunbartonshire, who are already seeing cuts to services at the hands of the SNP, will unfortunately pay the price.

Once again we are seeing that a Tory Government thinks that unemployment is a price worth paying.

Taken together, these measures will hit Scottish families harder than any budget in living memory.

The sight of Tory and Lib Dem millionaires in the Cabinet making decisions they know will push Scottish families into poverty is shameful.

The 11 Scottish Lib Dem MPs should hang their heads in shame at what they have done.

Scottish Lib Dems campaigned against these things in the election, particularly against an increase in VAT.

Some people here will have voted for them on the basis of their promises in good faith.

Now the Lib Dems are supporting measures which will make people lose their jobs - just so they can keep theirs.

The fairest way of halving the deficit is to create growth, but this Budget offers no satisfactory plan for growth in Scotland.

This is a Budget of risk and broken promises which takes support out of the economy at precisely the time it needs it.

If you are interested in any of these issues, do not hesitate to drop me an email at info@gemmadoyle.org.uk or write to me at my temporary address, 125 College Street, Dumbarton, G82 1NH.

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This article appeared in Clydebank Post 14 Jul 10

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