Speaking up in the budget debate, Nia Griffith accused the Government not just of robbing pensioners to pay for a tax cut for the rich but of having no growth strategy to offer hope to the unemployed. She also pointed out that the Government has carefully avoided saying that raising the personal allowance is costing a lot of money, much of which will benefit those higher up the pay scales, whereas tax credits, which they are cutting, target money much more effectively on lower-income households.
She then referred to excellent work done by volunteers seeking to restore the Railway Goods Shed in Llanelli and Cwrt Farm in Pembrey and went on to raise concerns about the imposition of VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings, saying “So much for this Government’s pretence at being the greenest Government yet. It would be much greener to encourage alterations to listed buildings, to make them practical to use in the 21st century.
Furthermore, far from stimulating the economy, the VAT increase is likely to discourage people from undertaking such work, so there’ll be less work for local builders, and we all know about the difficulties faced by the construction industry at the moment. That is why Labour is calling for a cut to 5% in VAT on all household repairs, precisely to stimulate the construction sector and provide more work for builders, plumbers, carpenters, electricians and so on. This Government needs to get its act together on bank lending, getting the economy going and providing jobs for our young unemployed.