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Dr Phillip Lee says Chancellor George Osborne's budget "rewards hard work"
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Dr Phillip Lee welcomes budget that 'rewards hard work'

By Jennie Slevin
March 21, 2013

The Budget rewards those who aspire to work hard and get on, says Dr Phillip Lee , MP for Bracknell Forest.

Tthe Chancellor, George Osborne, presented the Budget yesterday in the House of Commons, promising the Government would be focussing on people wanting to own a home, get their first job, start a business, or save for their retirement.

Dr Lee said: "Hard working people in Bracknell will be over £700 better off every year than when this Government came to office.

"This tax cut will benefit an estimated 45,313 people in the Bracknell constituency.

"In April 2014, 381 people will be lifted out of income tax, taking the total number of people locally lifted out of tax to an estimated 4,328.

"Nationally this means that almost three million more of the lowest paid will pay no income tax at all."

The Conservative politician was also pleased with the plan to scrap beer duty, instead cutting it by a penny. He said: "Pubs are vital to our economy and support 1465 jobs in the constituency adding £32 million in value added to our local economy.

"This news is great for beer-drinkers, it’s great for breweries, and it’s great for Bracknell’s local community."

An annual inflation of two per cent in beer duty is also due to end but a 'duty escalator' will remain in place for wine, cider and spirits and cigarette duties will continue to rise by an inflation of 5 per cent.

The Budget promised to cut employer National Insurance by £2,000 for every firm and get rid of it altogether for 450,000 small firms. Dr Lee added: "This Budget is also about reforming the economy.

"The Employment Allowance will make it easier and cheaper for firms to hire people – an employer could hire four people working full time on the minimum wage without paying any National Insurance.

"In addition, employers will be able to hire one extra person on £22,400 a year, or four people working full time on the minimum wage, without paying any National Insurance."

Other key points included tax incentives for low-emission cars, a 20 per cent tax relief on childcare from 2015 and, despite a one per cent cut from most Government departments, schools and the NHS will be protected.

Dr Lee said: "With this year’s Budget the Chancellor has made clear that the Conservative Government is doing everything to help the families and hard-working local people in Bracknell.

"There is no doubt that the Government is right to stick to the plan to tackle the deficit.

"However, stability alone is not enough – Britain has to earn its way in the modern world."

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This budget delivers a key Lib Dem manifesto policy: from next April people will pay no tax on first £10k they earn. We are glad that Dr Lee agrees that it will help those on minimum wage and that it will help 24m people, shame that he doesn't mention that it's a Lib Dem idea!

Bracknell Lib Dems
08/04/2013 at 13:03

What about the pensioners who got a 2% increase in their pensions only to have their tax codes changed to ensure that they pay enougn tax on their hard earned 'tiny' private pensions to cover this 2% raise and more?

I was talking to an old lady who is now £4 a week worse off due to this tax code change. Again people who have paid into their own private pension subsidising those who didn't. These are people who left school at 14 and paid tax until they were 65. I think the government has taken enough from them in the 50 years they have worked!

Time4tea
23/03/2013 at 21:58

Can Dr Lee please come to my house and advise how I am a staggering £700 a year better off when over the last three years Petrol prices have shot up, Food prices have shot up, Gas prices have shot up, Electricity prices have shot up. Oh and by the way Millionaires Tax Bills have REDUCED and Bankers Extortionate Bonuses are still being Paid!!!!!!

Gareth Phillips, Bracknell
23/03/2013 at 12:47

Gareth Phillips, Bracknell
23/03/2013 at 12:46

He can say its a good budget because he has a memo from HQ telling him its a good budget ......

Tom Edwards, Priestwood, Bracknell
23/03/2013 at 12:18

And he'd know about hard work how??

HatsOfDoom
22/03/2013 at 14:36

A rather fudged budget that would appear to open up more loopholes for their cronies to exploit and already the government is on the back-foot with no answers as to how some of their ideas will work in practise.

The good doctor may know how to fill in his expenses claim and tot up his overtime but an economist he aint so whatever drivel he comes up with while propping up a bar can safely be ignored. Any person who is 'lifted' out of tax will be earning a weekly wage equivalent to what Lee would spend on his dinner using our money.

timespassing
21/03/2013 at 21:24

If Dr Lee say it was a good budget, it was a good budget.

dodgynews, Bracknell
21/03/2013 at 21:13

Thank you Mr Osbourne, from Sunday all local pubs will, in effect, be offering buy three hundred and fifty pints and get one free!

Tonk, Wokingham
21/03/2013 at 20:20

£700 you must be joking we are £2700 worse off due to bedroom tax!

512 people registered with 5 2 beds on offer this week

The man is a pleb

The voice of reason
21/03/2013 at 17:23

And of course, there's this:

Osborne only managed to keep this year's borrowing lower than last year's borrowing by holding up British payments to various international bodies.

Dids, Bracknell
21/03/2013 at 15:38

Of course they don't understand the example they set. If you've never done anything other than swim around in the Westminster shark tank you're going to have no idea what's going on with real people or the impact upon our lives of policies they promote.

Of course not all politicians are like that - but they never seem to be in positions of influence.

You're right Tonk about the party system - and in a very simplistic way I believe we should have some form of government as existed under Cromwell - a directly elected head of the government with a healthy dose of Independents breaking up the monopolies of the parties. To get on and influence anything within a party means sucking up to the right people and supporting whatever schemes they have up their sleeve. It's a game.

Whereas I believe if we could get to a system where the parties are forced to negotiate with Independents, then you'd see a lot more sensible, thought out policies that don't leave tyre marks outside No.10 every five minutes. Independents would have the interest of their constituents at heart and not party or business interests.

But no matter how much I dream of such an idea I know that the local Tories will mobilise all manner of flannel against anyone that attempted to run against Lee as an Independent.

Winstanley, Bracknell
21/03/2013 at 12:44

Oops sorry I meant Tonk ;)

alex_f, Wokingham
21/03/2013 at 12:36

@Tonky - EXACTLY. I was just wondering throughout the entire time - Why are they shouting? Why are they jeering? Why are they pulling idiotic faces at each other? Why do they think it's funny when there is bad news and people have lost jobs?

Do they not realise they are not 12 years old? Do they not realise they are actually at 'work' and not in a pub? Do they realise they are on national TV and being watched by millions, setting a ridiculous example from people who are meant to be our leaders on a national and international stage?

alex_f, Wokingham
21/03/2013 at 12:26

I watched the budget live yesterday and the one thing that struck me and really made me angry, was just how much of a hoot all these politicians of all parties thought it all was.....They all laughed and cheered, hissed and booed like kids at a panto, forgetting that real people have been and will continue to be affected by these provisions.

We need to find a way of getting tribal players out of politics because, in my opinion, the party system is destroying our democracy and our nation.