BUDGET 2024: Lib Dem leader Cllr Nigel Ayres gives response

Liberal Democrat Group leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said the move will harm small businesses in York, who are so vital to the city’s economy.

Cllr Ayre said: “Before the election the Labour Party said in clear terms that they would not increase National Insurance.

“This budget will raise £25 billion more from increasing National Insurance employer contributions, which will hit many working people who run small businesses in York.

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“This is a very clear break of their manifesto pledge and the type of broken promise that makes residents lose faith in politics, just like this Labour Council raising Council Tax by the maximum after promising residents a Council Tax freeze.”

But he also told the Press: “We support measures to increase the minimum wage, investing in capital projects, rebuilding our crumbling schools and working towards a just transition to a greener economy.”

The Heworth Without Ward continued: “However, after 9 years of Conservative rule in the UK this is not the change budget the public will expect.

“York gets the worst deal from central government and we are extremely disappointed that there is no move to address the funding gap between the least well-funded Councils and the most well-funded.

“As the demand for and the cost of adult social care continues to rise, this is not a sustainable situation.

“The public would have expected a real package of support for our most vulnerable, scrapping the two child benefits cap, continuing Winter Fuel Payments, and the £2 bus fare.”

Cllr Ayre added: “We also would have liked to have seen greater investment to fixing primary care. Residents can’t get a GP appointment, dentists are leaving the NHS at astonishing rates. We needed a plan to recruit 8,000 new GPs and proper reform of the outdated dental contract.”