Rochdale MP Paul Rowen responds to the Budget

Date published: 22 March 2006

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen responded to today’s Budget, saying:
 
“This Budget has failed to tackle some of the biggest issues facing the economy and our country.
 
“The Chancellor did not tackle the growing problem of Council Tax – an unfair tax that hits elderly people the hardest. Last year the Chancellor gave a Council Tax rebate, but this year he’s ignored the problem – effectively imposing a £200 rise in pensioners’ bills. It’s interesting that Government acknowledges that pensioners need assistance with Council Tax in a general election year, but not this year.  I am sure that pensioners in Rochdale will not be happy with this.

Paul, who is also Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Minister, continued:

“I was massively disappointed that the Government ignored Transport in the main. We’re still waiting for Labour to tell us whether we can have our long-promised Metrolink Extension to Rochdale. We’ve also just been told that there’s no money to invest in the Northern Rail Franchise – not even for extra carriages on the extremely busy Rochdale-Manchester line. The Government also failed to answer questions on how their scheme for free public transport for the over-60s will work. Tony Blair was happy to boast of their new initiatives, but as ever, the figures simply do not add up.

“I’m also disappointed that the Chancellor has failed to address the pensions crisis in this Budget.  This is a growing problem and the Chancellor has missed a huge opportunity. We need a pensions system based on the Turner proposals of a higher basic state pension and an end to mass means testing.

“This Labour Government has consistently failed to tackle the growing gap between rich and poor in this country, and this Budget is no different. Under Tony Blair and New Labour the rich get rich while the poor get poorer – they have abandoned those who need help the most.

“Gordon Brown largely ignored health - except to add more tax to cigarettes. This is a big mistake; people are getting tired of healthcare and dentistry that just isn’t up to scratch. The Chancellor has poured money into the NHS in the last 9 years – but where are the results? I don’t disagree that these £billions needed spending, but I am shocked at the small levels of improvement that this extra investment has brought. Our NHS is groaning under the weight of the all its extra administrators – up 50% in the last five years in Rochdale alone.

“The Chancellor is at last making some of the right noises about the environment – but it continues to fail to deliver real action. The truth is that under this Labour Government green taxes will continue to shrink as a proportion of the economy. If he was serious about green issues, Mr Brown would do more than add a few pounds to vehicle excise duty to 4X4s.”