The Hendon Labour Party

Working hard for you

Budget Report 2010

In his Budget, the Chancellor Alistair Darling set out Labour's choices. We will secure the recovery - not put it at risk. We will build a future based on growth and jobs - not leave people to a decade of austerity. We have a clear plan to halve the deficit while protecting frontline services - the Conservatives refuse to match our pledge and continue to conceal their plans.

The message from the Chancellor was clear - we will make these choices in a fair way - standing up for the many, not the few. This is the choice that the country and Hendon faces in just a few short weeks' time.

In Hendon, like the rest of the country, the recovery is still in its infancy. We believe, as do economists and businesses all over Britain and the world, that the worst possible course to take now would be to slam on the brakes immediately, through the cuts proposed by the Conservatives. So we will keep helping businesses, families and the unemployed until recovery is secured.

That's why I'm pleased that the Budget extended our "Time To Pay" scheme, which between November 2008 and February 2010 deferred taxes worth a total of £700million in 33,300 cases in London alone.

The local economy has also benefited from the Government bringing forward capital expenditure. Projects include £208 million for 1,140 new affordable homes in Barnet, and £80 million for new school buildings in Barnet.

I believe that people in Hendon want a government that is on their side and fighting for a fairer future. So we will put economic growth first, to ensure that people have the skills and jobs they need to succeed in the world and their children have the opportunities to get on and get ahead. That is why we continue investing in growth.

Once growth is secure, then of course we will cut the borrowing that we needed to make to get Britain through the recession. We have a clear plan that is the most ambitious in the G7. The Budget announced that debt will be £100 billion lower by 2013/14 than forecast in last year's budget. And we will push on to halve the deficit by 2013/14. This means cutting borrowing by £78bn. £19bn of that comes from increased fair taxes, such as the 50p rate for those with incomes over £150,000, and cracking down on tax avoidance by the super rich; £38bn comes from cuts to public spending in low priority areas, whilst protecting vital front line services like the NHS, schools and the police. The rest will come from return to growth in the economy. 

This means supporting services like Sure Start - there are 7 Sure Starts in Hendon alone, which the Conservatives would cut. It means the Metropolitan Police, now facing cuts from Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson of 455 officers. And it means protecting the fantastic gains we've made in the health service. There are now 45,486 more NHS staff in London than there were in 1997, and waiting times have fallen dramatically, with average waits in Hendon now at 6 weeks (and a maximum of 18 weeks) for in-patient treatment, compared to up to 2 years in 1997.

I believe that people in Hendon want a government which stands up for the many - not the few.  That's why the greatest burden will be carried by those with the broadest shoulders. In our Deficit Reduction Plan 60% of the taxes are paid by the richest 5%. In contrast the Conservatives would cut Child Tax Credits and Child Trust Funds for families on modest incomes so they can give away £200,000 to the 3000 richest families.

In contrast, the Conservatives' economic policies are dangerous and incoherent. If elected, they would wreck the recovery and preside over a decade of austerity that would damage Britain for the long term. Their plans to cut public spending and tax business investment would wreck the recovery. They refuse to tell anyone what their cuts would be in just a few months' time or in the years to come. All they will say is they will cut further and faster. But if they halved the deficit in 3 years instead of 4 for example, they would need to find a further £26 billion - equivalent to over half the schools budget or a rise in VAT to 23%.

Incredibly, just weeks away from an election, David Cameron and my Conservative opponent are still refusing to answer even the most basic questions. How much are they planning to cut from spending in 2010/11? They won't say. How quickly would they halve the deficit? They won't say. By how much would they reduce the structural deficit? They won't say.

Unlike Labour, David Cameron can't answer a single one of these questions and neither can the Conservatives here in Hendon. People will rightly conclude they either haven't got a clue what to do or they're deliberately concealing their plans from the British people. That's up to the Conservatives. In the Budget, we set out our plan. It is time for the Conservatives to come clean.

Best Wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Dismore MP
Labour Member of Parliament for Hendon