Hear from your MP
Posted by Tom Levitt, MP for High Peak, at 10:17, Wed 3 December 2008:
You are one of over 100 people who have asked to be kept up to date with my work from the My Society / Hear from your MP web site. Each week from now on I will send you a copy of my weekly column in the local High Peak press. Please note that you can find out more about my work (much more!) by visiting www.tomlevitt.org.uk or - if you are a High Peak constituent - by emailing me at tomlevittmp@parliament.uk. Priority will always be given to emails from constituents over others. My column for the week commencing 2 December 2008 was as follows:
A shorter and shallower recession?
Last week’s Pre-Budget Report brought real help for people and business in tough times. It put money into the economy now so that we will come out of this recession sooner and stronger. When the economy grows again these measures will tackle the public finance problems in a way that is fair to everyone.
I especially welcome the special payment to all pensioners in High Peak of £60 on top of the Christmas bonus of £10. Families of disabled children will also receive this extra.
Almost a million children in over 527,000 families in the East Midlands will benefit from the increase in Child Benefit. This will start straight after Christmas, brought forward from April. It will be £20 a week for the first child, £13.20 a week for other children.
Families will also see the Child Element of Child Tax Credit rise by £25, also being brought forward from April.
Over 196,000 pensioners across the East Midlands will see a rise in Pension Credit to £130. The annual £10 Christmas Bonus will be increased to £60; this is a one-off seasonal payment going to 15 million people including 12.5m pensioners as well as recipients of Incapacity Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and Bereavement Benefit.
Over 800,000 people in the East Midlands will be receiving their Winter Fuel Payments shortly, including an extra £100 on top of the regular £300 payment for over-80s households, and an extra £50 on top of the regular £200 payment for over-60s households.
The big cut in VAT is one of several measures to help High Peak’s many small businesses quickly. In the 80’s and 90’s the Conservative answer to a downturn was to turn their backs on families and businesses. This government is taking action and offering real help through the tough times.
Comments
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Posted by Yates. E. J (Mr.), 18:23, Wed 7 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
If Mr. Levitt thinks that the miniscule cut in VAT.will make any difference whatsoever, at a time when stores are slashing prices by 50 and 60 per cent., he is even more out of touch with ordinary mortals than I had supposed. To describe the cut as "big" is just laughable.
Posted by David Cubbin, 19:59, Thu 8 January 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Mr Levitt,
in thes times of financial, economic and social strain, I think it would be better to desist from sending such a politically motivated message. The VAT was a headline grabber but let's face it a cut in just over 2% is hardly going to have them queing at the tills.
The talk about help for small businesses just hasn't materialised and despite the banks receiving millions of our tax payers pounds they refuse to pass on the benefits to the smaller businesses in order to retain higher profitability. The financila institutions should be regulated as heavily as the education system.
And what happened after Gordon Brown talked to the credit card companies about reducing their interest payments - they weren't about to kill that cash cow now were they and as a result the mountains of debt people will be forced to get themselves into will take even longer to pay back.
In order to stimulate the housing market why not persuade Gordon to drop the ridiculous 'stealth tax' in the guise of a house survey required before every home owner has to sell their home, that slowed the market down as soon as it was introduced.
The real problem is that New labour has turned into 'Old Conservative' - protection rich city financiers and bankers who got us unto this mess and treating the manufacturing and retail sector workers as if they are a disposable commodity.
Shame on you and your party - start looking after mr average.....