THE MP for Thornbury and Yate has reacted to the announcements delivered in the Autumn Budget.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled Labour’s first Budget in 14 years last Wednesday.

Ms Reeves announced £22.6 billion for day-to-day spending on the NHS in England, with a £3.1 billion boost to the budget for investment, plus an extra £1 billion for repairs.

Lib Dem Claire Young MP has said she will “hold the government’s feet to the fire” on delivering promises on dentistry. 

“I’m glad the Chancellor has finally listened to the Liberal Democrats on the need for urgent action to invest in our hard-pressed NHS and health services,” she said. 

“I will be holding the government’s feet to the fire on the promises they’ve made – particularly on dentistry.

“Sadly, the new government has repeated the Conservatives' mistake of neglecting social care. 

“We urgently need cross-party talks to tackle this crisis so older people stranded in hospital beds can finally get the care and dignity they deserve.

“They are also pushing ahead with cuts to the winter fuel allowance which will badly impact some of the most vulnerable pensioners in our area. 

“This is a bitter blow for the local pensioners, some who will be left choosing between heating and eating this winter.”

Ms Young has also called on the government to think again over changes to farmers’ inheritance tax.

It comes as it was announced that inheritance tax will be charged at 20 per cent on farms worth more than £1 million, although the Chancellor has said that in some cases the threshold could in practice be about £3 million.

“Many farmers will also be concerned by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief, which is a new family farm tax,” she said.

“This is something the National Farmers Union has warned will be damaging and I will be challenging the Government to think again.

“I will continue working to make the voices of local people heard and to deliver the change our communities need.”

Responding to the Budget, Claire Young said: “The bedrock of the budget was an increase to Employer’s National Insurance, which will hit our small businesses and high streets. 

“The government should instead be reversing tax cuts for the big banks and asking the social media giants to pay a bit more instead.

“Hiking the bus fare cap to £3 will also have a big impact. 

“This is an increase of 50%, which is simply the wrong choice at a time when local buses are already being stripped back and many have lost their local route. We need to invest in our buses, not hiking fares.

“The announcement of additional funding for SEND services is welcome but doesn’t go far enough to meet the scale of the challenge. 

“We need to fix SEND, both by investing in frontline provision and overhauling the system so it works better."