Read Hitchin MP Bim Afolami's latest Nub News column as the Conservative Treasury Minister reflects on this month's budget

Better public services, support for businesses, £1,250 more in the pocket of the average full-time earner in Hitchin – a Budget that delivers for our communities, writes Bim Afolami MP

As a Treasury Minister I have been working with the Chancellor, Ministerial colleagues and our hard-working Treasury officials for months on the Budget package we set out at the start of March.

Whilst we've been preparing that Budget, I've been spending lots of time listening to you, in Hitchin, about your priorities.

In this column I wanted to take some time to set out how we've delivered on what you've told me.

You've told me that you want to see better, more efficient public services.

That's why we have prioritised investing in smart ways to make our public services more productive – so that you get the good services you expect, but without a hefty tax bill you can't afford. 

That includes investing £3.4bn into the NHS to allow the roll out of universal electronic patient records and new technologies to help doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time on patients. Cutting waiting lists.

Overall, our investments in public sector efficiency – across all of Government – will see £1.8bn in benefits by 2029, save up to 55,000 hours in the justice system, help HMRC catch fraudsters, speed up the planning process, and more. Better services for you, at a lower cost.

You've told me that you want to see support for our fantastic local businesses.

That's why we're helping small businesses access the funding they need through the Growth Guarantee Scheme; increasing the VAT registration threshold; and unlocking more investment through the new British ISA. Backing our businesses and our local economy.

Most importantly, you've told me loud and clear that we need to do everything we can to help hard-working people in Hitchin with the cost of living.

Our changes to National Insurance – taken together with the changes we made in the Autumn – mean that the average full-time earner in our constituency will be £1,250 better off this year.

Hitchin's pensioners on the full new state pension will get an extra £902 this year because we've protected the Triple Lock.

Working parents will benefit from the changes we're making to High Income Child Benefit Charge thresholds – almost half a million families will save an average of £1,260 next year thanks to our reforms.

And we're supporting the most vulnerable with an extension of the Household Support Fund.

This is our plan. A plan to deliver better public services. To grow the economy. To keep more of your hard-earned money where it belongs – in your pocket and in your family's future. It is a plan which is working. I'll keep working hard to make sure it delivers for Hitchin.

By Bim Afolami MP

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