Budget 2021: Gloucestershire MPs on Chancellor's landmark budget
Rishi Sunak has promised to do "whatever it takes" to help businesses and people through the coronavirus crisis
MPs in Gloucestershire say the Chancellor's landmark budget will deliver for the county.
Rishi Sunak has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to help people and businesses through the coronavirus crisis.
Yesterday he announced an extension to the furlough scheme, frozen income tax and announced a 5% house deposit scheme as well many other announcements in today's budget including an extension on stamp duty.
The yearly announcement sets out the government's financial plans and includes lots of things that affect us, like tax on fuel and alcohol, income tax rates as well as announcements on big budget spending.
This year the focus was on getting the country through the coronavirus pandemic as Mr Sunak told the house that borrowing for 2020/21 would hit ÂŁ400bn.
There was some good news from the Office for Budget Responsibility which has forecast that the economy will be back to the pre-covid level by next year.
"The OBR forecast that our economy will grow this year by 4%, by 7.3% in 2022, then 1.7%, 1.6% and 1.7% in the last three years of the forecast."
So what did MPs in Gloucestershire make of it?
Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester
"This budget is really going to create momentum for Gloucester.
It's going to help business get on with what it likes to do and what it's best at doing and the Government will be behind it with new grants and loans.
"Government is trying to do all those things to try and make sure businesses have got as few obstacles as possible.
Alex Chalk, MP for Cheltenham
"I think this budget really delivers for Cheltenham.
"It delivers for individuals with the extension of the furlough scheme and the extension of Universal Credit.
"And it delivers for businesses with the continuation of cuts to business rates and VAT.
"It means that as we slowly start to unlock, I think we can look forward to the summer and indeed the rest of the year with growing confidence".