Feryal Clark MP demands a Budget that secures the economic recovery for families and businesses in Enfield North

Feryal Clark, MP for Enfield North, is calling on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to deliver a Budget on 3rd March that addresses the concerns of families and businesses in Enfield North, after hearing from local representatives at a roundtable held this week.

Ms Clark was joined by a wide range of stakeholders in the constituency to discuss what they needed to see in Budget 2021. Attendees included businesses, local college representative and union representatives.

This roundtable was a chance for them to discuss their experiences of the last twelve months and to understand what they are looking for when the Chancellor sets out his Budget next week. Feryal heard about how the government schemes established are extremely complicated to navigate, when compared to those established by the last Labour Government, and how the financial support from government has been too slow.

Labour is calling on the Chancellor to use the Budget to secure the economy and put Britain on the path to growth, with the UK having suffered the worst death toll in Europe and the worst economic crisis of any major economy. People in Enfield North have been particularly badly affected, with 8,472 workers still on furlough, 4,600 self-employed people still claiming government support and 5,985 people on out-of-work benefits.

At this week’s roundtable, Feryal Clark MP set out what Labour wants to see in the Budget:

·       Extending the furlough scheme and making it ‘smarter’, so that it lasts as long as health restrictions are in place and provides training opportunities

·       Extending business rates relief and the reduced VAT rate to help hard-hit firms get back on their feet

·       Launch of a new British Recovery Bond to give millions of people a proper stake in Britain’s future and security for their investment.

·       A boost to the Start-Up Loans scheme to support the creation of 100,000 new businesses right across the country

·       Bringing forward investment to support the creation of 400,000 new jobs

·       Reversing the Chancellor’s plan to hit families with a triple whammy of council tax hikes, pay freezes and cuts to social security

Feryal Clark, MP for Enfield North, said:

“When I met with local stakeholders this week the message was clear: they have been forgotten by this government. They spoke of how access to support was complicated and how the funding was taking too long to come online. These barriers to our local entrepreneurs and employers mean that jobs are being lost on this government’s watch.

“Many of the businesses I spoke to are small independent family operations. They have always been the backbone of our national and local economy and to see the distress they are facing is heart-breaking. The Budget next week is a chance to right the wrongs of the past 12 months and I will be doing all I can to get the Chancellor to do the right thing and adopt Labour’s plans.

“Rishi Sunak must use this Budget to put that right. Labour wants to see a relentless focus on jobs, delivering growth across the entire UK, supporting our high streets to thrive, and protecting family finances. Nothing less will do.”