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Finance Bill

My hon. Friend is of course absolutely right. So little of the benefits of job creation over the past few years have gone to those who voted for this Labour Government in the hope that they would provide benefits to them—benefits in the form not of a giro cheque, but of the sustainable work and employment that I know my hon. Friend's constituents would like to see. It is noticeable that when the Government were riding high in the polls last year, Labour Members—with a very few honourable exceptions—seemed strangely indifferent to the impact of the abolition of the 10p tax rate on the working poor. It is interesting to note that the re-awakening of the Labour party conscience has coincided with plummeting poll ratings and the realisation that many Labour MPs could lose their seats. In preparing for this debate, I decided to look back at last year's Finance Bill debates. Again, with just one honourable exception, there was barely a mention of the Government's decision. Britain's families are hurting. They are hurting every time they fill up their cars; they are hurting every time they go shopping; they are hurting every time they receive their council tax bills. They are hurting from a constant barrage of price rises and tax increases. This Budget hits ordinary families up and down the country—people whose only luxuries are having a couple of pints on a Friday night, and who are seeing the price go up, and a week's holiday in the summer. On Saturday, I held my normal street surgery in Withernsea, and Joan Kaye came to speak to me about the price rises. She said, ““How am I supposed to make ends meet when my income tax is going up from £22 a month to £41 a month?”” Her council tax is going up by £5 a month, and her gas and electricity is up by £36 a month. She has at least £60 extra a month to pay out and cannot survive. Another constituent e-mailed me this morning, saying:"““I would like to voice my objection to the abolition of the 10 per cent. tax band. My husband has had to leave work with Alzheimer's…he is 61 and has been retired 2 years. This year I have given up work to be with him.””" Their two pensions take them just out of benefit, and they find that they are worse off. These are the people who are being hit by this Government's attack on the hard-working and those who retire early, often because of illness.