Pre-Budget Report "simply not enough for Bedford and Kempston" says Henry Vann

2.29.00pm GMT Thu 27th Nov 2008

Henry Vann, seen here with Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable, has described the Pre-Budget Report as "Simply Not Enough" for Bedford and Kempston

Bedford and Kempston will be hit hard by "fig-leaf" proposals in the pre-Budget report.

Everyone earning over £19,000 will be hit by future tax increases, and if the chancellor is wrong on the economy - which he may well be - the whole country could be forced into massive national debt.

This comes on top of unfair regional spending uncovered by the Liberal Democrats earlier this year.

Bedford and Kempston Parliamentary Campaigner Henry Vann said:

"A fig-leaf cannot cover up the decades of underinvestment in Bedford and Kempston by successive Labour and Conservative governments.

"Our tax proposals would put money directly into the pockets of those who need it: those on lower and middle incomes.

"The real rise in the cost of living has come from the sharp rises in food and fuel costs, which these VAT proposals do nothing to address. It's alright for the well-off who can now save a bit on a big-screen TV or new car, but for people struggling to make ends meet, it's fairly meaningless."