Lib Dem Tom Gordon: Chancellor has missed opportunity to deliver change for Harrogate and Knaresborough

Following today’s Spring Statement, local Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon has said that the Chancellor “missed her chance” to deliver the change needed in Harrogate and Knaresborough by failing to deliver any funding for the North or by scrapping the jobs tax and reforming business rates.

In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor failed to deliver any new funding for the often-ignored communities of Northern England. The North won’t see any new investment, having been largely ignored in the autumn statement, with only a couple of new projects for the North announced, largely in the North West, alongside continued funding for a small number of existing projects.

The Spring Statement has also confirmed that taxes will rise on small businesses through the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions. Tom Gordon and the Liberal Democrats have instead urged the Labour Government to raise money not from local high streets but by asking the big banks, social media giants and online gambling companies to pay their fair share. 

Tom added that he is seriously concerned at the absence of changes to the family farm and business taxes announced in the autumn budget. Many locally owned, family businesses in Harrogate and Knaresborough have talked to Tom about the changes to Business Property Relief, as they are worried about how they will continue into the next generation. 

Also confirmed are cuts to welfare spending, including for disabled people, through such schemes as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is crucial to helping disabled people to cover their increased costs, as well as helping many get into work. Since these changes were first suggested, Tom has been contacted by many constituents who are worried about losing their benefits.

Commenting, Tom Gordon said: 

“Across Harrogate and Knaresborough, people are struggling with eye-watering bills, businesses are buckling under pressure and our public services are crumbling. The Government is abandoning ordinary people – and the North more widely. 

“This Spring Statement was a real opportunity for this government to turn things round for the better, but instead it will just inflict more pain on our small businesses and high streets, cut public services and, even worse, punch down on disabled people.

“There is no doubt the Conservatives left our economy in tatters, but the Chancellor has missed her chance to deliver the change and growth we need here in Harrogate and Knaresborough. I and the Liberal Democrats will campaign for the Government to urgently change course and look to boost growth in much fairer and effective ways, raising money from the banking, tech and gambling giants, not disabled people, the businesses in our high streets and the farmers in our community.”

ENDS