Amanda Martin

We live in an ever-changing world where global issues impact on our everyday lives, so I am pleased that this Budget is about making a difference to working people and families in Portsmouth North, with little changes that make a big difference. People in my city are worried about the cost of energy. This Budget responds by extending the removal of VAT on electricity until 27 July, removing gas standing charges and putting £100 directly into the bank accounts of 40,000 households across Portsmouth North. That sits alongside the new British industrial competitive scheme for businesses. However, energy is not the only cost putting pressure on families. For many people in Portsmouth North, getting to work or school means getting in the car, and the cost of filling up hits hard. Extending the 5p fuel duty cut and keeping fuel duty frozen helps motorists and businesses to manage these costs every day. Cost of living measures are also about allowing people to keep enjoying life and coming together, so I am pleased to see that changes in this Budget will mean that half of the retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in our region will no longer pay business rates at all. We must invest in our future. The Your First Home scheme means lower deposits and more opportunities for young people, and I look forward to seeing more details. We must also keep our country safe. In Portsmouth—our naval city—defence means more than national security; it means jobs, skills and opportunities for local people. The Government are spending £14 billion more on defence than the previous Government did, and the £3.9 billion for the naval dockyard is brilliant. That, alongside the investment from previous Governments, is great. One announcement is especially close to my heart: paternity pay for the self-employed. For too long, self-employed men have faced an impossible choice between spending those precious first few days with their newborns and returning to work because their bills will not wait. Labour introduced paternity leave, but self-employed dads and non-birthing partners were left behind. This Budget takes an important step: for the first time, they will be able to receive paternity pay—that is a point of principle. For a builder, a plumber, a taxi driver, a shopkeeper or a farmer, this means real support at the most important moment of their life. Up to £194 a week for two weeks might not be enough, and the Minister will not be surprised to hear that I want to see longer leave and more generous pay, but for someone who currently gets nothing, this change means real help with their bills, less financial pressure and, more importantly, more time with their new-born child. Being there for your child should not be a luxury that is reserved to those who can afford it. I want to quickly thank the incredible campaigners who have helped deliver this change, including all at the Dad Shift, On The Tools and Movember. Most importantly, I thank the hard-working tradespeople across the country who have made their voice heard and trusted me to bring their voice to this place. This victory is theirs, and they should be so very proud, just as I am so very proud of them. How can we ask young men to take up apprenticeships in our trades if we do not protect their future and their families? This is personal for me: my dad was a tradie, my brother is a tradie, and so was my grandad. I am incredibly proud of all of them, and I want something different for my own sons.