Cherilyn Mackrory, Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth has welcomed today’s Budget as one that delivers for Cornwall.
Cherilyn said:
“I welcome today’s Budget as a good one that delivers for the people of Truro and Falmouth.”
“Looking at the main headlines, first of all I was pleased to see the Chancellor commit massive resources to the NHS and announce a number of measures to help deal with the spread of COVID-19.”
In terms of regular Budget announcements, I was pleased to see, among other things, the Government:
- Putting more money in peoples’ pockets with an over £200 tax cut for the typical family, increasing the National Insurance threshold to £9,500 this April, benefiting 31 million people with a typical employee saving over £100 in 2020 – the first step to reaching our ambition to increase the threshold to £12,500.
- Abolishing business rates for a year for all retail, leisure or hospitality business with a rateable value below £51,000.
- A £3,000 cash grant per business for any firm that is currently eligible for the small business rates relief – a £2 billion cash injection for 700,000 small businesses, many of which make up the backbone of our economy in Cornwall.
- Creating an entitlement to Neonatal Leave and Pay to support parents with the stress and anxiety of having a baby in neonatal care. For employees whose babies spend an extended period of time in neonatal care we will provide up to 12 weeks paid leave.
- Freezing fuel duty for ten consecutive years has also saved the average car driver £1,200 – meaning an average worker could be up to £6,400 a year better off than in 2010.
- Exempting our fishing and farming communities from the duty rise in Red Diesel.
- Freezing duty rates on beer, spirits, wine and cider helping with the cost of living. This will be only the second time in almost 20 years a government has frozen all these duties.
- Axing the tampon tax now we have left the EU. We will reduce the cost of essential sanitary products for women in the UK, abolishing the tampon tax from 1 January 2021.
“I am delighted that we have set out measures to support families and help them with the cost of living, while continuing to invest in Britain’s future responsibly – laying the foundations for a decade of growth and prosperity.”
“This is the first Budget delivered outside of the EU for more than five decades. It sets out a clear, one nation, path for the Government to get things done and I look forward to continuing to work with my Cornish MP colleagues to ensure the Government continues to deliver for Cornwall.”