Jonathan Reynolds

I would never suggest that you negotiated the deal with the European Union, Madam Deputy Speaker. I can see why you would want to distance yourself from that, as we all would. Let us move on. The British people should know that we will always seek to make things a little easier where we can. We will transform our country for the long term, but we will also act now to provide support for people in the short term. That is what the Budget was all about. That is why 2.3 million workers will benefit from increases to the national minimum wage. Thanks to these changes, a full-time worker on the national living wage will see their earnings rise by £910 a year before tax. This is a balanced approach which recognises market conditions. I want to put on the record my thanks to the Low Pay Commission for its expert advice and support on these measures. I am also pleased that this Government committed in the Budget to expanding parental pay. We are making the system fairer so that more parents can spend time with their family after the birth or adoption of their children. From April 2029, self-employed fathers, partners and adopters in Great Britain will be able to access a parental allowance. Those only recently employed, those who have been made redundant and those who have an irregular pattern of employment will also qualify for some degree of financial support. All in all, over 150,000 people in Great Britain per year will benefit from the reforms. Thanks to the changes we are making, things will be easier for them and for working parents everywhere. As the Chancellor said last week, this is a downpayment that will begin to address some of the issues around working men and paternity provision as we prepare the final outcome of our review of the full parental leave system next year. I would also like to acknowledge that many in this country are quietly, conscientiously providing care for a loved one, whether that be a child, parent, grandparent, sibling, friend or neighbour. About 5.8 million people in the UK provide unpaid care for a family member or friend. In the Budget, this Government are moving to support them. We are replacing the current carer’s allowance earnings cliff-edge rules with an earnings taper. That measure alone will benefit 50,000 unpaid carers—a real injustice being righted. We are also reviewing employment rights for unpaid carers to help those balancing their caring responsibilities with work, because it is not easy to help a relative out of bed, get them dressed, take them to the doctor or hospital appointments and cook them meals while holding down a job and working 35 or 40-hour weeks. This review, which will look at unpaid leave, the right to return, paid carers’ leave and paid leave for parents of seriously ill children, will conclude in early 2027. I can assure the House that we will act on its findings. This is what we mean by fresh hope, good growth and support for those who need it. In our first 100 days, this Government have shown that we will do all we can to give people and businesses the breathing space that they need. This Budget has shown that commitment, too, with real, tangible measures to help—with business rates cut, tariffs reduced, energy bills slashed, living costs lowered and the minimum wage increased. We are doing all of that while keeping Government borrowing falling faster than any other G7 economy. We are doing it while getting employment up this year, higher than previously forecast in March and while ensuring that business investment relative to the size of the economy remains at its highest level for a decade and whole-economy investment higher than at any other time since 1990. For all these reasons, people should have hope—fresh hope—for what the future holds for them, our economy and our country. They should know that we are resilient, that we should be optimistic for the future and that the best days of this nation lie ahead. That is why I proudly commend this Budget to the House.