Budget Resolutions

Matthew Patrick Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Patrick (Wirral West) (Lab)]

Today, the Chancellor has not only made history, but has opened up Britain’s future once again—history maker, game changer.

Governments do not decide the conditions in which a Budget is made, and nobody would choose these conditions, after 14 years of Tory failure, but Governments do get to decide the choices that they make, and this Government’s choices are clear. They have decided to face the realities head on, protect working people’s payslips and invest in Britain and our future—that is the responsible path. The Government reject the short-termism of the Conservative party, which brought chaos to Britain. The Conservatives have not even bothered to turn up to this debate on how we will fix the mess that they left—they shirked responsibility for 14 years and are still shirking it today.

Short-termism meant that prisons reached breaking point as sentences increased but the number of spaces did not. Short-termism meant a handbrake turn on HS2, as investors saw a Government who were not serious about their commitments or infrastructure. Short-termism meant that dental decay was the No. 1 reason for child admissions to hospital, and feeble inaction caused a crisis in dentistry. No wonder the country was left in such a mess. The Conservatives papered over the cracks with bluster and boosterism, leaving people to fend for themselves. Where they shirked responsibility, we will shoulder it.

This Government know that belief in Britain is measured not in false promises and hollow headlines but in real, meaningful investment. Our investment will mean more opportunities, better pay, and public services that are there when people need them—a Britain we can be proud of again. The Government are making long-term decisions so that we can look back on a decade of expanding opportunities and rising standards, not another decade of shameful decline, which the country, and working people, cannot afford.

We were elected to clean up a mess that was 14 years in the making. Nobody thinks that it can be undone in just one Budget, but what was announced today is the downpayment on change to bring back hope—and not false hope. Announcements of new hospitals that never come, plans to reduce debt that instead see it spiral, and unfunded tax cuts that crash the economy are not real hope. Real hope is built on solid foundations, including a £1 billion investment for special educational needs, £1.4 billion to rebuild crumbling schools and £30 million to kick-start breakfast clubs, allowing our teachers to focus on teaching and giving our kids the best start in life. Not only is that a good education policy, but it is good for the economy and the future of our country. I cannot wait until we open those breakfast clubs in Wirral West, to expand opportunities for parents and kids alike.

The investment of £22 billion in our NHS, and £600 million in social care, will mean more appointments, which will bring down waiting times so that people are not waiting years for the help they need. That is not just a good health policy; it is a policy that will make Britain stronger, happier and ready to take on the challenges coming our way. I do not want to be faced with more stories of my constituents waiting years for important operations. I have heard enough of those heartbreaking stories to last me a lifetime—stress upon stress, costing jobs and crushing hope.

What the Chancellor has announced today is vital: choosing investment over decline, rejecting failed short-termism and fixing the foundations. While we are at it, we are protecting the payslips of working people, with no increase in VAT, income tax or national insurance and a pay rise that Britain desperately needs: an increase in the living wage to £12.21 an hour, delivering on the promise of secure work and better pay. This Budget protects working people, invests in our NHS and rebuilds the foundations for Britain’s future. Once again, we are investing in Britain, creating the conditions so that businesses the world over can do the same. It is a Budget of investment, and it is a Budget for investment. More of the same simply was not an option; hope was on the ballot in July, and this Budget brings back hope.