MP says Chancellor’s ‘botched’ budget fails to deliver for Shropshire

Helen Morgan has criticised the Chancellor’s Budget for failing to deliver the investment and change needed for rural communities.

The Liberal Democrat MP branded Wednesday’s announcement as “botched” and said Rachel Reeves’s Budget ignored the needs of North Shropshire.

She also expressed disappointment that further funding was being earmarked for ‘metro mayors’ and urban areas, at the expense of rural areas and market towns.

Helen said: “The Chancellor did not go far enough in delivering meaningful support for families in North Shropshire, whose living standards are being hit by the Government's tax rises.

“Labour was elected on a promise of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and growing the economy, yet once again this botched Budget failed to do either. The Government is letting down Britain and letting down Shropshire by hiking taxes while at the same time ignoring rural areas.

“Families and pensioners are struggling to get by, local businesses are going bust, High Streets have been hit hard, and farmers fear the impact of damaging inheritance tax changes. For the people of North Shropshire struggling with higher bills, all this budget offers is higher taxes.”

Helen has met farmers from across North Shropshire who are already struggling to remain profitable without the controversial changes to inheritance tax which the MP has campaigned against.

She said a small concession made in Wednesday’s Budget was an admittance from the Chancellor that the reforms were “damaging” to the farming economy.

Helen added: “Tinkering around the edges of the damaging family farm tax will do nothing to reduce the devastating impact on family businesses and will lead to many closing their farm gates for the last time.

“Thousands of farmers travelled down to Westminster to plead for the Chancellor's support - and this Government has shamefully turned their back on them.

“I will continue to campaign for a fair deal for rural communities and for farmers, including investment in tackling rural crime.”

The Chancellor also refused to heed calls from hospitality businesses for a cut to their VAT, something the Liberal Democrats had called for in the run up to the Budget.

Helen added: “At a time when businesses are closing their doors and jobs are at risk in the sector, an emergency VAT cut until April 2027 would have provided much needed relief to North Shropshire’s High Streets and protected jobs.”

Reflecting on the full package of measures announced, the MP said the Chancellor “needed to do better” and that Labour’s promises on growth and tackling the cost of living had “once again been broken”.

She added: “The Conservatives left the UK’s finances in a terrible state for families and small businesses. We wanted bold decisions in the Budget, instead the Government delivered a tax bombshell.”