Reacting to the Budget, Rachael Maskell MP for York Central says:
“This is a strong budget for children, there can be no greater ambition for Government than to lift children out of poverty, to address the inequality of their circumstances and ensure that investment is made to their life’s journey. In scrapping the Two Child Limit, 470,000 children will be taken out of poverty; in York Central this will bring 1,650 children out of poverty. I want to thank everyone who has supported my petitions on child poverty, including the scrapping of the cap, today we have made real progress.
“After campaigning hard for many years for a tourism tax for York, I welcome the announcement which for less than price of a cup of coffee could raise millions for our city. Likewise, the confirmation of winter fuel payments for pensioners this winter is a major campaign win for those of us who did not support the actions taken last year to remove this key benefit.
“Raising the National and Living Wages will benefit working people, it will mean more money in their pockets to spend in the local economy; helping businesses and families. Pay growth under the Tories for 14 years was the worst than for any other government since the 1920s, that punishment for working people whilst the richest few became even more wealthy can never be forgotten. I will examine the detail of the freezing of the tax thresholds.
“The council tax surcharge for high-value homes is welcome, but we urgently need to fix our tax system, to get rid of loopholes that allows billionaires to pay as much tax as nurses and school teachers. 80% of millionaires and 78% of the UK public specifically support a 2% wealth tax which would raise £22bn.“