Local MP Criticises Budget for Lack of Ambition

Commenting on today's Budget, David Chadwick, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said:

“This Budget will come as a disappointment to many families and businesses across Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe who are already struggling with rising costs.

“In rural areas like ours, having a car is often a necessity rather than a luxury. While the Chancellor has extended the existing fuel duty cut, he has missed an opportunity to go further and provide some much-needed relief for motorists who have seen prices at the pumps rise sharply.

“I am also deeply disappointed that the Government has failed to introduce a price cap on heating oil & LPG. Thousands of households across Powys and rural Wales rely on heating oil to keep their homes warm and remain completely exposed to volatile global prices. Suspending import tariffs is not going to provide the protection these families desperately need.

“Beyond the immediate cost of living pressures, there is also very little in this Budget to address the long-term challenges facing our communities. We need investment in our roads, railways and local businesses, alongside better opportunities for young people who increasingly feel they have to leave rural Wales to find decent jobs.

“We deserve more than another Budget that overlooks the particular challenges of living and working in rural communities.”

ENDS