Steve Witherden

This Budget is aimed squarely at people struggling with the cost of living—good! In a year when one in five UK households have experienced food insecurity and there are 9 million people in severe hardship, according to the Trussel Trust, the Government should make no bones about putting them first. The Government have identified where household budgets are being pinched the most and have redistributed wealth accordingly. Slashing bills for 80% of households in England is no small thing, and I am glad that the Welsh Government have since announced that they will use the consequential funding to extend the benefits to my constituents in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr. A high proportion of my constituents are reliant on heating oil, so I especially welcome the fact that the payment will be applicable to those off the gas grid. That, when combined with the scrapping of import tariffs on kerosene, could amount to a real reduction in heating costs. Let us hope, though, that the additional £450 million that the Budget allocates to the Welsh Government for public services is spent wisely, at a time when three out of four of Montgomeryshire’s hospitals face the loss of all their beds, all their X-ray services and all their minor injuries units. Returning to tariffs, I applaud their removal from a wide range of everyday goods. It is appalling to hear these measures spoken of as small fry by the Conservatives, when it is the poorest in our society who are affected most by such price rises. In providing that bit of breathing space, the 3.9% rise in the minimum wage is another positive step. The surest way to improve our food security, however, is to produce more at home, and that means supporting our farmers, so I welcome the suspension of import tariffs on fertiliser and the extension of reduced duties for red diesel. These measures will make a difference to the agricultural sector, which has taken a body blow this year in the form of the Iran war driving up input costs, compounded by a summer of severe droughts and wildfires, and further compounded by an outbreak of bluetongue. Threats to our national security are compounding, too, from climate change, AI-enabled cyber-attacks and a new age of interstate conflict, but we cannot forget about the basics. As an island nation, we must have domestic resilience in food production. You will have to forgive me, Madam Deputy Speaker, but food security is national security. Let me end on fiscal devolution. The experience in many parts of Wales is that devolution is unfinished business. Powers have been devolved to the Senedd, but not to our regions and communities such as north-east Wales or the Marches. I am happy to hear that English local authorities will start to retain more business rates from next year, but I would like to see greater detail on how the Government are working with the devolved Administrations to realise the benefits of regional governance across the UK. This Government, like any Government, will be judged on how they improve the material conditions of hard-working people. It is that target on which this Budget is rightly focused.