MP hails Budget "good news" for Dudley families (From Stourbridge News)

MP hails Budget "good news" for Dudley families

6:02pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News

DUDLEY South Chris Kelly has hailed today’s Budget “good news” for hardworking families in the borough.

The Conservative MP has welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s pledge to increase the personal tax allowance threshold to £10,000, cut National Insurance bills for employers, freeze fuel duty and cut the price of beer.

The amount people can earn before paying income tax will rise to £10,000 in April 2014, Mr Osborne announced today - a move Mr Kelly says will benefit 29,166 people in Dudley South.

He said: “This Budget has delivered real support for people who aspire to work hard and get on.

“Around 29,166 people in Dudley South will be over £700 better off every year. With this landmark tax cut, Conservatives have cut tax bills for 24 million people.”

He added: “In April 2014, 316 people will be lifted out of income tax, taking the total number of people in Dudley South lifted out of tax by Conservatives to an estimated 3,376.”

Mr Kelly also praised tax cuts for businesses which he says will support jobs and help borough employers.

The new Employment Allowance will take £2,000 off the National Insurance bill of businesses, charities and community amateur sports clubs.

Mr Kelly said: “This is fantastic news for businesses in Dudley and the Black Country. The Employment Allowance will make it easier and cheaper for firms to hire people - an employer could hire four people working full time on the minimum wage without paying any National Insurance.

“These and the other business measures in the Budget are exactly what businesses need to hire, to expand and to grow.”

The MP also welcomed Mr Osborne’s fuel duty freeze, saying it will save Dudley families £170 per year, van drivers £340 a year and hauliers £5,200 per year.

He said: “This is a Budget that is delivering for families who want to work hard and get on in life.

“Scrapping another of Labour’s planned fuel duty increases will make a huge difference to drivers in the West Midlands.

“This Government has frozen fuel duty for three and a half years - longer than any Government in the last two decades - and saving the average family £7 every time they fill up their car.”

Mr Kelly also raised a glass to the 1p cut on a price of beer, saying: “Beer will be 1p per pint cheaper after Sunday night - 4p per pint cheaper than it would have been under Labour.

“It’s great for beer-drinkers, it’s great for breweries, and it’s great for 4,972 brilliant West Midlands pubs.”