A Good Budget for Leeds, says John Battle MP

John Battle, Labour MP for Leeds West, welcomed the Budget as good news for Leeds.

“The extra boost for pensioners is very welcome – free bus travel will be well used, as well as the extra £200 on top of the winter fuel allowance this year.

“It’s also good news for families with children.

“Gordon Brown focused on investing in renewing and increasing skills. We don’t need to invent wheels – we have a model in the West Leeds Family Learning Centre that can be extended and built on nationally. I am inviting Gordon Brown to come and visit West Leeds Family Learning Centre personally. It has a first class track record for good training, working well with local employers, earning the trust of local people, gaining national recognition, and delivering the New Deal which did so much to get unemployment down in West Leeds.

“The Budget continues the real success of Gordon Brown – he has built in long term economic stability, and the Budget continues that. Tory mismanagement put thousands out of work in the 1980s – at one time over 6,000 people in my Leeds West constituency were on the dole – as well as giving us record mortgage rates and record numbers having their homes repossessed. But now there are more jobs than ever before in our country’s history, as well as low inflation and interest rates and a much lower national debt – because of the Government’s prudent management of the economy.

“Nationally social security bills for unemployment have halved since 1997, saving £5 billion a year that the Chancellor is putting to better use.”

©John Battle MP 16 March 2005