David Lepper MP Budget Comment
22 April 2009
David Lepper, Labour and Co-operative Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, today welcomed the Budget as delivering real help now to get people, especially young people, quickly back into work, and support businesses and homeowners facing problems.
A former Brighton secondary school teacher, David Lepper said:
"In the 1980s, year after year under a Tory government I saw youngsters leaving school with no job to go to and whose parents or older brothers and sisters were also out of work. We must not let that happen again.
"I welcome the Budget's support for employment, including for Jobcentre Plus and the Flexible New Deal, and the offer of a guaranteed job, training or work placement for all 18-24 year olds who reach 12 months unemployed.
"The Budget also supports investment in the growth industries of the future on which Britain's success will be built.
"We know that if we don't act now, it will cost us all more in the long run. I welcome today's Budget with its focus on jobs now and jobs in the future.
"Locally as well as nationally the Tories are the "do-nothing" party. We saw that recently when local Tory councillors turned down the chance to bid for £9m this year which could have helped improve our city schools and help the local economy, especially the construction trade.
"Building on the support already coming through – from an income tax and VAT cut - the measures in the Budget will help us deal with the economic difficulties and support jobs, families, businesses and the environment.
"We have the confidence to invest in the recovery – and not talk Britain down."
The Budget announced:
• support for individuals
including through an increase in the annual investment limit for Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) to £10,200, up to £5,100 of which can be saved in cash;
an additional payment alongside the Winter Fuel Payment worth £100 for households with someone aged over 80 and £50 for households with someone aged over 60.
Pension Credit: increasing the capital disregard on the level of savings that are not taken into account when calculating entitlement, from November 2009, from £6,000 to £10,000
• support for homeowners and homebuyers
including with a £600 million funding package of measures to build more homes, and an extension of the stamp duty holiday for all houses costing up to £175,000 until the end of the year;
• support for the environment
including setting the world's first carbon budgets and measures to encourage energy efficiency, renewable energy and low-carbon growth.
