Those expecting relief from the Chancellor were sorely disappointed on Wednesday, with a budget that ignored the growing crisis in local government, locked in further public sector cuts, and failed to bring relief to most taxpayers.

Issy Waite, North West Essex’s newly selected parliamentary candidate, set out her views on the government’s budget and its impact on voters. Issy has been elected to the board of the Young Fabian society and is a member of the GMB union’s young worker committee, and will bring solid economic policy knowledge to the campaign for North West Essex.

Despite 14 years of decimating our public services, the Chancellor doubled down on cuts. As local councils go bankrupt, court backlogs increase and prisons overflow, the government has pencilled in cuts of over 3% per year to most government departments including the Home Office, the Justice Department, and the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government. That will mean street lights going off, theatres and community centres closing, and more criminals on our streets.

“When it comes to handing out Covid contracts to their friends, or paying ministers’ legal bills for libel, this Tory government is happy to spend freely, but when it comes to locking up criminals, supporting our communities and funding care for the elderly, suddenly there is no money left”, said Issy. 

Issy noted that even the government’s changes to National Insurance would not give much relief to voters, saying “a cut in National Insurance is welcome, but it is not nearly enough to alleviate the difficulties faced by working people” said Issy, “and with income tax thresholds frozen, many will find the government has given with one hand and taken with the other”. 

Issy pointed out that this would mean a particular hit to pensioners, who will see more of their pension taxed as income tax thresholds fail to rise, and who won’t benefit from a cut to National Insurance. “Many pensioners are struggling, with the level of pensioner poverty beginning to rise again last year after years of progress”, said Issy.

Issy welcomed the Chancellor’s adoption of Labour policies, such as the abolition of the grossly unfair non-domiciled tax regime, which gives a tax break to billionaires. However Issy said that “rather than taking a few Labour policies here and there, the government should call an election and let an incoming Labour government bring the change our economy desperately needs”.

The budget’s response to the housing crisis was woefully short, and the Chancellor actually cut £200 million from the budget for council housing. Uttlesford desperately needs more council homes, having had no new construction in recent years, and Issy commented that “whilst the Council allocated a few million for new homes in its recent budget, without central government action, the Council’s budget is just not up to the task”.

The government has completely failed to address the crisis in local government, with more Councils going bankrupt in 2023 than in the previous 30 years combined. Issy observed that “This crisis will have a direct impact on voters – almost all county councils plan to raise Council Tax by the maximum 5%, and here in Uttlesford, Council tenants have been hit with a rent increase of 7.7%, the maximum allowed, and parking charges have been increased”.