Ipswich MP calls for more SEND funding in the Spring Budget

The Chancellor will set out his plans tomorrow

Conservative MP for Ipswich Tom Hunt
Author: Jasmine OakPublished 5th Mar 2024

A Conservative MP in Suffolk's urging the Chancellor to boost funding for special educational needs and disabilities provisions when he announces the Spring Budget.

Jeremy Hunt's will lay out his plans for the country's finances tomorrow.

Ipswich MP, Tom Hunt, tells us there are lots of things he'd like to see included in tomorrow's budget:

SEND

The MP would particularly like to see more funding for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) introduced.

He was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia at 12 years old and throughout his career, says he's campaigned for better services: "In Suffolk I can see significant pressure on the local authorities and SEND services - this is only going to go up.

"I want to see the adequate resources behind SEND funding."

VAT Threshold

Another area the MP where the MP wants to see change is in the VAT Threshold.

Currently, you must register for VAT if your total VAT taxable turnover for the last 12 months is over £85,000, or you expect your turnover to go over £85,000 in the next 30 days.

Tom Hunt revealed he would like to see this increased as he believes it "creates a perverse incentive" for small businesses, with some "turning down new business because they don't want to go over the threshold."

Tax cuts

Moving onto tax, the Conservative MP says he thinks "the tax burden is too high."

He would like to see "income tax rates unfrozen," continuing: "there are a lot of people paying tax rates who certainly wouldn't consider themselves to be wealthy, they don't feel wealthy" who he says are paying the "upper rate of income tax."

National insurance

There has been speculation that Chancellor of the Exchequer - Jeremy Hunt is considering a further cut to national insurance.

Previously he reduced national insurance from 12% to 10% in last year's Autumn Statement.

Tom Hunt remarks that if further reductions take place it would be "extra money in people's pockets, so that would be good."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.