CHANCELLOR DELIVERS ‘A BOTCHED BUDGET’ WHICH FAILS TO DELIVER FOR LIVERPOOL

Responding to the Autumn Budget, Cllr Carl Cashman, Leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats, criticised the Government for failing to deliver the investment and change needed for social care, policing, and the cost of living in Liverpool. 

The Party branded it a “botched Budget” that failed to deliver “the real change people in Liverpool were promised”, instead “delivered a tax bombshell for millions” by extending the freeze in tax thresholds.

The Chancellor’s Budget offered nothing to fix the growing crisis in social care, which hurts so many elderly and vulnerable people and is devastating for the NHS. With council finances already under severe pressure, now worsened by the damaging jobs tax, the crisis in social care is expected to only deepen after the Budget. 

Years of Conservative mismanagement left frontline policing overstretched and under-resourced. The Budget announcement failed to provide the support needed for the police, who were keen to see funding for extra officers on the beat.

Cllr Carl Cashman also expressed disappointment that the Chancellor did not go further in delivering meaningful support for families desperately needing help with the cost of living.

Cllr Carl Cashman pointed out that people’s living standards were being hit by the Government's tax rises according to the Office for Budget Responsibility. And with the Chancellor’s plan to reduce energy bills not coming into force until April 2026, Cllr Carl Cashman said people need immediate relief, and that the Government should be bolder by adopting the Liberal Democrats' plan to halve energy bills by 2035.

Cllr Carl Cashman, Leader of the Liverpool Liberal Democrats, said:

“This is a botched Budget from a Chancellor who sees the problem but won’t fix it. Promises on growth and tackling the cost of living have once again been broken. 

“The Conservatives left the UK’s finances in a terrible state for families and small businesses in Liverpool. We wanted bold decisions, but instead the Government delivered a tax bombshell for millions.

“I will continue to work with my Liberal Democrat colleagues to secure a fairer deal for the health, policing and cost of living, and the real change people in Liverpool were promised.”