“Where has all the money gone?” demands Portsmouth MP

22/03/2006

Mike Hancock, MP (Lib Dem – Portsmouth South) commenting on Gordon Brown’s tenth budget today said: “Taxes and red tape have increased year on year but now hospitals are announcing cuts in nursing staff as they slip into debt. At the same time, businesses are having to spend more and more time on bureaucracy.”

Mike said that the budget was a missed opportunity not to ensure money actually went directly into frontline services and wasn’t wasted on bureaucracy. “For example, people in Portsmouth are asking me with all the increase in NHS spending, ‘why can’t they get an NHS dentist?’”

Mike said “It should also have been a budget for pensioners, the Environment and fairer taxes.”

“The contrast between the principled approach of the Liberal Democrats under Sir Menzies Campbell and the Conservatives could not be greater. The Tories should not be left off the hook. They hope that by copying New Labour spin, we will forget what a mess they made of running the economy the last time they were in power.”

Mike Hancock branded the budget a poor one for pensioners. They will not be getting the £200 council tax rebate they got last year. Mike said: “Today the Chancellor should have raised the basic state pension by £27 a week to £109.45p a week instead of £82.05p. He should have announced plans for fairer local taxation. Our proposal for a Local Income Tax would mean a pensioner couple on £14,000 would pay nothing in taxes to local councils. And would help them and less well-off year after year not just in election years. It would also save the average household in Portsmouth £400 a year.”

“The budget does little for the Environment. The Chancellor should now take radical action to encourage “micro-generation” – small scale solar panel, wind turbine and combined heat and power schemes. Over 80% of the energy from large scale energy generation is wasted.”