COLUMN by Thornbury and Yate MP Claire Young

The Budget last week was a big occasion, not only for the new government, but also for everybody in Thornbury & Yate.

I was one of the many MPs packed into the Commons to hear the first ever budget delivered by a women Chancellor.

The Budget set the direction that the Government will take in the coming years.

Some of the announcements are welcome, particularly the news that Liberal Democrat calls for increasing the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit have been adopted, but there are also many worrying decisions.

One thing I am very concerned about is the hike in Employer’s National Insurance.

The government provided extra funding for the NHS to mitigate the cost of this tax rise, but at the time of writing they have not done this for GPs and social care providers who won't receive this help and left paying the price as a result.

This extra cost will push these crucial services to the brink.

Many have already been in touch with me saying how this will directly impact their ability to deliver vital services due to the rising costs, making it harder for people to access vital treatment.

I will be pushing the Government to change course on this and expand this help.

The NI rise also impacts our small businesses and local high streets. Instead of taxing the lifeblood of our communities, the government should be reversing tax cuts for the big banks and asking the social media giants to pay more.

Farmers in South Gloucestershire are also deeply concerned by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief, which is effectively a tax on family farms.

The National Farmers Union has warned the change will damage hundreds of local farms, and I will be pressing Ministers to rethink this.

There’s a lot of things we need to keep pushing the Government to do better on, and I will continue working to make the voices of local people heard and to deliver the fair deal our communities need.