Burnley MP Antony Higginbotham column: Budget delivers on the promises I made to town

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer departs to deliver the annual Budget at Downing Street. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty

This budget delivers not only on the promises I made to all of you during the election campaign but also show what levelling up means in practice.

But first it had to respond to the challenge that we as a country face from coronavirus, because that requires not just a public health response but also an economic response.

And what the Chancellor announced on Wednesday amounts to a multi-billion-pound package to see us through that period.

From extra funds for the NHS to support for the businesses that will be most affected, this Budget delivers.

Coronavirus was only one part though; this cudget marks the start of record level of investment in the priorities we discussed back in December.

Infrastructure, the NHS and public services. Ensure the promises I made to you are kept and the potential of every part of the United Kingdom, including Burnley, is unleashed.

Increases in the National Insurance threshold and the National Living Wage will mean families across Burnley and Padiham keep more of the money they earn.

And to put that into context, thanks to the measures announced in the budget, someone working full-time on the minimum wage in Burnley will be over £5,200 better off compared to ten years ago.

And extra investment in the roads, rail, housing and broadband will ensure everyone can have the same chances and opportunities in life wherever they live.

One of the things I get the most emails from residents on is potholes in the existing road network – from the M65 to the streets we live on.

As a result of this budget the North West will receive an extra £66 million for local road maintenance, and I’ll be working to make sure that Burnley’s potholes are fixed as a result.

This budget also re-confirms that supporting businesses and getting our high streets thriving remains firmly at the top of the government agenda, just as it is mine.

A fundamental review of the Business Rates system, which I will be lobbying hard on, will look to redesign the system for the modern age.

And a 100% relief to rates for retail premises will really help our high street, giving businesses across the town centres the ability to thrive and grow.

This budget – the first of a new decade, the first since we left the EU, and the first for me – delivers for Burnley.

- You can follow Antony’s latest updates on Facebook by searching Antony Higginbotham MP.