Shrewsbury Labour MP welcomes ‘hugely positive’ Budget

Mrs Buckley, who took the town seat in Labour's summer General Election landslide said: “Here in Shrewsbury – as across the whole nation – the changes announced will be of benefit to pensioners, carers, people awaiting a hospital appointment, motorists, small businesses, children with special educational needs and disabilities, and indeed people in all walks of life.

“Shrewsbury’s 18,000 pensioners will see their State Pension increase by 4.1 per cent by the Government maintaining the triple lock.

“The freeze on income tax and National Insurance thresholds will end in April 2028, increasing in line with inflation to ensure that working people and pensioners are not dragged into higher tax brackets.

“The National Living Wage will increase by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 per hour – worth up to £1,400 for a full-time worker.

“Over 1,000 people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance in Shrewsbury will see the working limit lifted, allowing them to earn more and still claim.

“The nearly 4000 small businesses in Shrewsbury will have their Employment Allowance increased from £5,000 to £10,500, and the £100,000 threshold will be removed, expanding to all eligible employers. 865,000 employers nationally will pay no National Insurance contributions next year.

“The small business multiplier will be frozen for one year, to protect over a million small properties from inflationary bill increases. The Budget provides 40% relief on bills for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, up to a £110,000 cash cap.

“Alcohol duty on draught products below 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV) will be cut by 1.7 per cent, so that an average ABV strength pint will pay 1p less in duty. Shrewsbury has around 100 pubs.

“There will be a £1 billion uplift for Special Educational Needs and Disability provision and alternative provision funding, equivalent to 6% real growth.

“The Government is providing a nearly 50% increase in funding for local roads maintenance, investing almost £1.6 billion to maintain and renew the nation's roads, an increase of £500 million on 2024-25. Shropshire Council has spent over £400,000 for pothole compensation over the last three years.

“Fuel duty will remain frozen, with the 5p cut being extended for a further 12 months. This is vital for a rural constituency like Shrewsbury, cut off from adequate bus services and reliant on vehicles.

“The Government is giving an extra £25 billion over two years to the NHS, to cut waiting times with 40,000 extra elective appointments a week, and to build capacity for more than 30,000 additional procedures.

“This is a hugely positive Budget. It’s good for our town, for our county and for our country."