Weekly Update
Change has begun. This Labour government is fixing the foundations as a rock solid platform from which to rebuild Britain.
This will be a government of national renewal. We will break down the barriers to British prosperity by growing the economy, building the infrastructure we need, switching to clean energy and mending our public services.
We are fixing the foundations. We won’t let the £22 billion blackhole the Tories left behind stop us from delivering for working people.
The Budget posed a clear choice: five more years of the same failed Conservative policies and more austerity that left working people having to pick up the bill. Or real change with a Labour Government that will invest in Britain’s future so we can fix the NHS and rebuild our country.
This Labour Government is taking tough decisions on spending and welfare by cracking down on fraud, tax avoidance and waste, and making sure every penny of taxpayer money is spent wisely. We will make sure that those who make their home in Britain, pay their taxes here too by abolishing the non-dom status.
Labour will not raise taxes on working people through National Insurance, Income Tax, or VAT, instead asking the wealthiest and corporations to contribute fairly to fund our NHS, cut waiting lists, and improve services.
While the Conservatives constantly chose to pick the pockets of working people in their Budgets, Labour has committed to protecting working people.
The Chancellor announced a 6.7% increase in the national minimum wage, which will go up to £12.21 in April, impacting up to 8,200 Enfield residents. The minimum wage for workers aged 18 to 20 will go from £8.60 to £10 an hour, a rise of more than 16% and the largest increase on record.
This Budget is focused on “investment, investment, investment” so we can get the economy moving again. Labour will make the long-term decisions needed to grow our economy and rebuild Britain, fixing our schools, hospitals and broken roads.
Meanwhile, Conservative leadership candidates offered more of the same: austerity and decline. The only plans for the economy their candidates have set out are cutting maternity pay, the minimum wage and handing tax breaks to oil companies.
Our first Budget is the start of a new chapter towards making Britain better off: more money in people’s pockets. An NHS that is there for you when you need it. And businesses creating wealth and opportunity for everyone in Enfield North and across the country. It is a Budget that invests in Britain’s future so, alongside business, we can build the homes, the infrastructure, the roads and the railways our country needs.
It’s a decisive step toward a brighter, more prosperous Britain.
Labour’s commitment to the NHS and reforming public services
The government is rejecting the return to austerity set out in the previous government’s spending plans. To deliver change the government is providing an extra £25.6billion over two years for the NHS, across resource and capital budgets, in order to:
Cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 extra elective appointments a week, and make progress towards the commitment that patients should expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.
Build capacity for more than 30,000 additional procedures, over 1.25 million diagnostics tests through new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, alongside additional beds to help bring waiting lists down, reduce waiting times, and shift more care into the community.
Invest more than £2 billion in NHS technology and digital to run essential services and drive NHS productivity improvements, free up staff time, ensure all Trusts have Electronic Patient Records, improve cyber security and enhance patient access through the NHS App.
These measures will end the neglect of the health service and get our NHS back on track.
Veterans and Remembrance Sunday
On Monday the House of Commons honoured remembrance and the contribution of veterans. The men and women who risk their lives for our country form the backbone of our security, and the debate was an opportunity to express national pride in our armed forces, veterans, and their families.
Remembrance unites the nation to honour those who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedoms, not only in the World Wars but in all conflicts since.
I got the opportunity to pay my respect at Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance on behalf of constituents of Enfield North. I honour all those who gave their service and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
This government is committed to supporting veterans and has pledged millions in new funding for homelessness support, ensuring homes for heroes across the UK.
Ponders End Coffee Morning
Following up on our first one in October, I am hosting another coffee morning event in Ponders End on Friday, November 29th.
I'll be happy to help with any local issues, pension credit, personal casework and much more.
Book here: https://www.feryalclark.org.uk/actual-events/pondersendcoffee-2
