Ordinary working families will benefit from the measures outlined by the Chancellor Philip Hammond in his autumn statement, Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby said.
Mr Kirby, a minister in Mr Hammond’s Treasury team, said: “As Economic Secretary to the Treasury, I especially welcome whiplash reforms, the new savings bond, the ‘help to buy’ equity loan scheme, the ‘help to buy’ ISA and the injection of an additional £400 million into venture capital funds through the British Business Bank which are some of my areas of responsibility.”
But the Conservative MP said that constituents would feel the benefits of the increase in the national living wage, help for housebuilding and the scrapping of upfront letting agent fees.
Mr Kirby said: “The autumn statement sets out the action the Chancellor will take to put ordinary working families first
• helping ordinary working families who are struggling to get on
• bringing down the deficit to get the country back to living within its means
• tackling long-term challenges and making Britain more productive
“The action announced in this autumn statement will help local people who are just about managing and ensure that our economy is fighting fit as we begin the process to leave the European Union.
“Increasing the national living wage, building more homes that local people can afford, ending tenants’ fees and continuing the fuel duty freeze for the seventh successive year will help families across Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven make ends meet.
“By backing businesses, investing in our transport networks and securing world-class digital infrastructure, we will keep Britain moving and support our economy for the future.
“This is about putting ordinary working families in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven first and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
Increasing the National ‘living’ wage by 30p an hour will achieve what exactly – have you ever tried to live off such a low wage? Financial experts have said time and time again that a living wage would have to be £8+per hour outside of London and £9+ in London. Meanwhile, in the real world my partner (who earns over £8 per hour) and my wage (just over £7) barely gets us through the month – we are no longer entitled to top up benefits thanks to this Conservative government.
Building new affordable homes, sorry but year after year the Conservatives has promised us this, so where are the affordable homes that Cameron promised? Stopping agency fee’s for private tenants will also achieve next to nothing, agents will find other ways to get more money our of prospective renters.
Nothing was said about re-introducing rent caps, which would not only help many working people in your constituency but also help bring Welfare spending down. Nothing was said about Fuel-Poverty, nothing was said about increasing the amount of money we invest in our young or in social care.
You are an MP,and you are supposed to work for your constituents. This Autumn Statement is farcical -and does nothing to help the many thousands who are struggling to get by and by supporting it you are also letting down the very people you are supposed to represent!
Kirby, the almost invisible MP for Kemptown has no shame.
The Conservative Chancellor increased the minimum wage by less than promised and slightly reduced the deep, life changing cuts to those on benefits and the hardworking poor. Kirby’s Chancellor then went on to describe the huge impact of the Conservative inspired Brexit vote that is predicted to lose the country a net £56 billion by 2020 even on their optimistic forecast. Overall, the 99% are going to be worse off with many more made destitute in one of the world’s richest economies. This and debt is to soar. The Conservatives have shown themselves by any measure to have been the most destructive and incompetent government of modern history.
We are facing years of falling living standards and are likely to be poorer in 2020 than in 2008! How anyone can vote for the Conservative Party is beyond me.