Member of Parliament for South Shields
Shields Gazette
Working Hard For The People
Last week Alistair Darling delivered his budget, a budget which was designed to help hard working families and to take our country through these difficult times due to the global recession.
At the weekend, the Conservative leader talked about “an age of austerity”, but I would ask austerity for whom? David Cameron won’t commit to spending a single penny more on helping the unemployed but will commit to spending billions on those in jobs earning over £150,000 through tax cuts. Many families in South Shields benefited from the £145 cut for basic rate taxpayers, David Cameron opposed this but he supports a tax giveaway to the wealthiest 3,000 estates. That’s not austere – it’s just unfair.
I am proud that it is this Labour government that has put more police officers on the beat, invested in our local hospital and giving our young people the very best start in life by investing in our schools. Cameron’s language about austerity is designed to disguise his real plans for cuts. The Tories need to be straight with constituents and say where they would make cuts. Unlike the Tories, I am in favour of continuing to give real help to hard working families in South Shields.
There are clear differences between David Cameron’s Tories and Labour. Many families in South Shields have benefited from the cut in VAT, the increase in tax allowances, the £60 cash boost to pensioners during the winter months, trebling of cold weather payments to vulnerable pensioners, the above inflation increase in the child element of Child Tax Credits – David Cameron has opposed all these proposals.
We have much to be proud about in South Shields, our teachers, doctors, nurses, emergency service officers continue to go the extra mile to deliver for local residents. The recent announcement that South Tyneside Council secured one million pound from government to improve our foreshore is welcomed by many. Locally our young people are achieving their best ever exam results.
The Conservatives may sound different, but when you scratch the surface a different picture appears. I can assure Gazette readers, Labour will continue to deliver for hard working families in South Shields.