The previous government left a real black hole in vital public finances – £22 billion. We have inherited both an economy and public services on their knees – it’s pretty rare to inherit both in such a poor way. This isn’t about lines on a graph though – the impact of this is on people’s lives. Simple things have become too hard, from paying for bills, to booking a GP or dentist appointment. Things can’t go on like this for people and I fully support the new Labour government’s actions to start to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Our Labour Government has ensured that millions of the lowest paid workers received a pay rise. The increase in National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage will benefit 280,000 workers in our region by up to £1400 a year. This is alongside an increase of up to £470 a year in the State Pension from this month as part of our commitment to keeping the triple lock during this Parliament, and the rollout of the first free breakfast clubs in primary school from this week. There’s much more to do, but I know this support will make a difference in our community.
Our Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, set out her latest Budget to lower the cost of living, invest in our NHS to cut waiting lists, lift children out of poverty, and building a stable economy so that debt, interest rates and mortgage costs keep coming down – keeping more money in people’s pockets. These are issues local people have raised with me time and again when I’ve been out knocking on doors and listening, and I am pleased to see further action to support local people.
For households, energy bills will be cut by an average of £150, the first freeze in train fares for 30 years will save the average Bristol-to-London commuter £892 a year, prescription charges are frozen again, and the state pension will rise to its highest-ever level under Labour.
The National Living Wage and Minimum Wage will increase again, meaning the lowest-paid workers in our community will have more for a fair day’s work to make ends meet. Young workers will also receive fairer rates of pay for their time, which I believe is right.
As I’m sure you’ll have experienced, many of our public services are in a very concerning state – not least our NHS – and years of decline is having a real impact on people’s lives and life chances. Our priorities for turning this around include getting the NHS back on its feet to make sure it’s here for ours and for future generations.
Getting our NHS back on its feet and fit for the future, our Labour Government continues to drive reforms. In less than a year, our Labour Government recruited 2,000 new GPs, delivered 5 million extra NHS appointments and cut waiting lists by more than 200,000. This means people in our community getting seen, diagnosed and – crucially – treated quicker. This will be saving lives, and helping people get back to work and on with their lives. Fixing our NHS also means delivering fundamental reform across social care, so we are backing the first ever fair pay agreement for care workers.
On top of this, following this Budget, 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres will open across the country, providing more than 5 million new appointments, so people are seen and treated sooner.
Our Labour Government is making a record cash investment in our national health service and introducing crucial reforms – as it is not only about funding – to make sure that it is here for future generations, too.
In the Spending Review, our Labour Government announced it would increase the NHS technology budget by almost 50%. There will be a £10 billion investment to bring our analogue health system into the digital age, shift care back to the community and provide more funding to support the training of thousands more GPs to deliver millions more appointments, as well as investing more in prevention. I recently spoke on this topic in Parliament, calling for the reform of public services like the NHS, alongside investment, which you can view here.
There will be guaranteed six-month work placements for 18–21-year-olds who are long-term unemployed, offering a good first step into work, and free training for under-25 apprenticeships for SMEs, supporting local businesses and skills.
I was particularly pleased to see the announcement that Labour will scrap the Two Child Limit, which could lift 1,640 children out of poverty here in Filton and Bradley Stoke and 450,000 nationally. Combined with expanded free school meals for around 3,610 local children, free breakfast clubs in schools, and 30 hours of government-funded childcare, this Budget delivers real support for families.
This Parliament is now set to see the largest fall in child poverty on record. That doesn’t just happen – it is a political choice and thanks to everyone who voted for change with Labour last year.
Looking to the long-term – as we know that people need stability, security and fairness – Our Labour government has also already introduced legislation to establish Great British Energy, a new publicly owned company that will own, manage and operate clean power projects throughout the country – helping keep energy bills down for the long-term. This will also provide the energy independence we need in Britain to avoid being so heavily impacted again by the decisions of Putin and other foreign powers, keeping bills down.
I welcome the steps our Labour government has taken to raise revenue for public services and ensure everyone pays their fair share, by closing loopholes and tackling tax avoidance.
In terms of extra financial support for the least well-off, the Autumn Budget delivered an additional £1 billion from next year to extend the Household Support Fund across the winter, which involves non-means tested, targeted local support with energy, water and food bills, for those that need it most.
There is much more to do and this is a real priority for our new government and for me as your new MP. I hope this update is helpful on the work done so far. If you need any support at all, please let me know.