This month Summer recess ended, and we returned to a Government in chaos. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are choosing to borrow and borrow with no serious plan to reduce spending, and now there’s talk of tax rises in the Autumn.
This matters deeply to residents across North West Essex. Whether you’re a homeowner in Saffron Walden worrying about mortgage rates, a small business owner in Great Dunmow trying to plan for the future, or a parent in Thaxted managing household bills, rising costs and poor economic decisions hit us all.
Labour is choosing the easy route: piling on debt, fuelling inflation, and discouraging work. When I called on the Government to keep the two-child benefit cap — a policy that saves £3 billion a year — both Labour and Reform refused. This is money that could be used to protect public services without hiking taxes.
Even worse, the Government’s own Welfare Bill — which could have helped get more people back into work — has been watered down to the point where it now increases welfare spending. That means more pressure on public finances and even higher borrowing costs.
We’re now paying almost twice as much on debt interest than on defence. Business confidence is falling. People across our area are already feeling it, with higher costs and limited services.
This isn’t just bad economics. It’s a moral failure. The Prime Minister must stop trying to please his backbenchers and start doing what’s right: cut wasteful spending, encourage work, and protect taxpayers. We’ve returned from summer recess to learn that Rachel Reeves is waiting as long as possible to deliver her Autumn Budget, on 26 November. I’m concerned that the country, and the markets, can’t wait that long. A debt crisis isn’t inevitable. It’s a choice.
Earlier this month I was speaking to residents in Great Leighs, who like so many, are feeling the pinch. The last thing this country needs is more taxes. That’s why we will continue to hold the Government to account on their poor choices, and push for a better path that favours growth and prioritises the interests of the British public.
