Budget Resolutions

Naz Shah Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)]

It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Dr Spencer), but may I urge some humility given the number of repossessions that my constituents in Bradford West experienced after a Budget that he supported, which led to a run on the pound? It was not that long ago that repossessions increased, mortgages went up and people were suffering. The party over there think it is quite good to—you know, food banks have become food porn. That happened under his Government’s watch, so maybe there is a need for a little bit of humility.

Let me say thank you to the Chancellor—the first female Chancellor to stand in this Chamber—for delivering today’s landmark Budget. I have waited more than 15 Budgets for one from the Labour Benches. It is heartwarming after nine years in opposition having to fight for the basics like school meals for children, and having footballers campaign for it. It was an embarrassment for us as a country when austerity was a political choice that the Conservatives made when they were in government.

It is lovely to see the grown-ups back in charge, delivering a Budget for the working people of Great Britain. There must be no doubt that the Chancellor’s task to deliver that was extremely difficult, given the reality of the public finances that we inherited from the Conservatives. Today, the Chancellor put forward a plan to turn the tide. She has delivered a Budget that will put money back into the pockets of working people. It is a Budget that will not only save the NHS, but ensure that it remains the pride of our public services for generations to come. It is a Budget that provides for our children and schools, giving them the education they deserve for a brighter future. It is a Budget that invests in infrastructure to rebuild Britain.

From the moment the coalition was formed following the general election in May 2010, the then Prime Minister David Cameron stated that his first priority was to

“reduce the deficit and restore economic growth.”

Well, how did that work out? Let me remind the House: by the end of the Conservative era, both those priorities had failed. UK GDP is now £400 billion less than expected in the OBR’s growth rate forecast when the Conservatives took office in 2010. When it comes to wages, from 2010 to 2014, earnings grew at probably the slowest rate in more than 200 years.

For my constituents in Bradford, this Budget provides us with infrastructure investment, which I am really grateful for—a huge boost that we need. Therefore, I welcome the Chancellor’s announcement today of funding for upgrades to Bradford Forster Square station and investment in mass transit system for the Bradford tramline, which will redefine the urban journey from Bradford city centre to Leeds city centre. That will improve public spaces, drive economic growth and ensure faster and more reliable access to essential destinations while linking key communities in between. I will be speaking to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Transport on the finer details, but this infrastructure investment is needed for Bradford to drive our economic growth.

On the flip side, what happened with the Conservatives? Time and again in the 17 statements I sat through they promised Northern Powerhouse Rail and to unlock growth. They promised to level up, and all they did was level down, level down, level down. Now, we have the chance to fix all those issues and what they did wrong. Our Chancellor and our Government had difficult choices because of Tory failures, but today they delivered. They delivered a pay rise for 3 million workers, the biggest increase in carer’s allowance since its introduction and a £2.3 billion increase in core school budgets.

They delivered a Budget that tripled free school breakfasts, added £1 billion in funding for special educational needs and disabilities, and £1.4 billion for the school rebuilding programme to provide our children with the school buildings they need to thrive in education. They delivered to protect the NHS, with an extra £22.6 billion for day-to-day spending in the NHS, £25.6 billion over two years to cut waiting times and 40,000 extra elective appointments a week—a manifesto promise made true and delivered today. People can have the care and the health protections in the NHS that they deserve.

This is unashamedly a Budget for working families and working people, putting money in the pockets of the very people who have been let down by 14 years of Conservative rule. I welcome this Budget, and I am pleased to see the positive impact it will have on my constituents across Bradford West.