Richmond Park News: 18 November 2022
Yesterday, I responded to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in my role as Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson.
As many of you will already have seen, the Statement was confirmation that over the coming years, the Conservative Government will be increasing taxes, particularly on low and middle income households, while cutting the vast majority of public services. Many households will also see their energy bills rise another £500 per year. This new austerity programme is a direct result of the £30 billion hole in our public finances created largely, according to the Resolution Foundation, by the Conservative’s disastrous September ‘mini budget’.
In advance of the Autumn Statement, I called for the Government to ensure that education and health budgets received real terms funding increases, a proper windfall tax was introduced on oil and gas giants, and that benefits and pensions would be up-rated in line with inflation. The last of these points was a direct call to preserve the ‘triple lock’ on pensions, which the Liberal Democrats introduced as a part of the Coalition Government.
It was pleasing to see some of these calls lead to action in the Statement. However I would have liked to see the Government reverse their tax cuts to the Banking Surcharge and Bank Levy, and close the windfall tax loophole, which allows energy giants to avoid paying a large part of their tax if they invest in further oil and gas exploration. These measures would have raised over £20 billion more for the Treasury, and would have helped balance the budget without the need to cut public services to such a large extent.
Going forward, I will be leading Liberal Democrat calls for the Government to lift their freeze on income tax thresholds, which will see over 6 million people dragged into paying a higher rate of tax.
If you would like to read a full explainer of the measures introduced yesterday, you can do so here. You can see my question to the Chancellor in the House here, and my interview on Sky News about the Statement here.
Should you require help with the cost of living, my team will be happy to assist you if you email me on office@saraholney.com
SCHOOL FUNDING CRISIS
Over the previous few weeks, I have spoken with and received letters from many local schools about the funding crisis they are facing as a result of the Government’s squeeze on public spending over recent years. I was informed that budget constraints may lead to reduced curriculum options and teacher redundancies.
In response, I wrote an open letter, with my Liberal Democrat colleagues Munira Wilson MP, and Sir Ed Davey MP, calling for the Chancellor to increase school spending in real terms in the Autumn Statement.
On Wednesday morning, I visited the Richard Challoner School in Kingston to speak to ITV London about the issue, and to speak to students and teachers about the challenges they are facing.
I was pleased to see school spending increased yesterday. However it is clear that this commitment will not be enough for some schools and that the Government must continue to ensure that no child faces seeing their opportunities limited as a result of budget constraints.
Should you wish to read our letter, you can do so here, and you can see the report on ITV London here.
DEBATE ON BRITISH INDUSTRY
On Tuesday, I spoke in a debate in Parliament on securing the future of British industry.
The Government scrapped the previous Industrial Strategy in March last year. Since then, they have failed to come up with a long-term plan to ensure British industry is able to adapt to the challenges of the future and support economy growth. Several key British industries, such as the automotive, steel and shipbuilding industries, are falling into decline. It is vital that we have a new Industrial Strategy that is aligned to our Net Zero goals and that supports the development of future technologies.
In the debate, I highlighted two key barriers to economic growth: declining trade and workforce shortages. Brexit has had a significant adverse impact on UK trade. The OBR forecasts that trade intensity will be 15% lower in the long-run than if the UK has remained in the EU. It is essential that the Government works to reduce barriers to trade, especially for SMEs, many of whom have given up exporting to the EU.
I also urged the Government to tackle the labour and skills shortages that industries right across the board are experiencing. I would like to see the Government implement a National Skills Strategy for key sectors to help match skills and people, and work to improve the efficiency of the visa system.
Click here to watch a short clip of my contribution to the debate, or here to read a full transcript.
ROUNDTABLE WITH LOCAL PUBLICANS
It was a pleasure to host a roundtable with a group of local publicans this morning. I know that hospitality businesses are facing particularly difficult trading conditions at present, arising from a number of factors including the pandemic, soaring energy costs, Brexit and a lack of support from central Government. As Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Treasury and Business, and also as a constituency MP, I really value the contribution of pubs and restaurants to the economy and to our local community. I am extremely concerned that many may face closure in the coming months without sufficient Government support.
It was really useful for me to hear directly from local businesses owners about the challenges they face, both nationally and on a local level. I will be working with the local council and in Parliament to ensure these issues are addressed. If you are a publican, and you would like to raise any concerns with me, please do send an email to sarah.olney.mp@parliament.uk.
KINGSTON UNIVERSITY VISIT
I joined fellow MPs Sir Ed Davey and Munira Wilson at Kingston University last Friday to experience first-hand Kingston's new undergraduate programme "Future Skills", which will become a core element of the undergraduate experience at the university. The programme is designed to foster the "skills of the future" - those skills identified as vital for the continued competitiveness of the UK economy by the over 2000 senior decision makers from a wide range of industries. These skills include: problem solving/process skills, critical thinking, communication skills, resilience, creativity and many more. We spent a fascinating morning learning about this programme from our innovative local university.
UPDATE ON HAM GATE TOILETS
I know that many visitors to Richmond Park have been affected by the closure of the toilets at Ham Gate and I am pleased that it seems there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. After extensive lobbying from local residents, councillors, and myself, the Royal Parks have now agreed to propose a new toilet on the old site.
The proposal will introduce an accessible toilet cubicle and takeaway kiosk. The toilet will be free of charge to access by all park visitors when the kiosk is open and when the kiosk is closed, the toilet facility will continue to be free to access by anyone who holds a RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) key. All other park visitors will be required to pay 20p via contactless payment to access the facility when the kiosk is closed.
While no date has been set for the toilets reopening, I believe the Royal Parks is hopeful it could be installed in spring 2023.
POLICING UPDATE
The local police have written to say they have been focusing on knife crime this week as part of the national Operation Sceptre activity. Work included weapon sweeps and hotspot patrols. Officers also talked to young people in schools and youth premises to highlight the life-changing consequences of carrying a knife. Retail businesses were also visited to flag the risks of selling knives to young people.
Local police inspectors also asked me to let constituents know that Kwik-Fit businesses are running a free catalytic converter marking scheme. No need to book, just drive in to the garage during business hours. You may have a short wait depending on how far you have traveled (i.e. how hot your converter is) and whether they have other customers waiting. There is a Kwik-Fit in Richmond at 48 Sheendale Rd, Richmond TW9 2JJ, on the south side of the A316 between Richmond Circus and Manor Circus.