Families in Brighton & Hove will be worse off because of Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget while the banks get a tax cut this year, Labour Leader Gill Mitchell said today.

Brighton & Hove Labour Leader, Gill Mitchell, said:

“George Osborne’s reckless policies to cut too deep and too fast are hurting families here in Brighton & Hove.

“In this Budget the Tories have confirmed the banks will get a tax cut this year while just under 30,000 families in Brighton & Hove will see their child benefit frozen and will pay an average extra £450 in VAT this year. And families earning as little as £26,000 are set to lose their tax credits next year too.“But while their plan is definitely hurting all the signs are that it’s not working either. The VAT rise and cuts which go too deep and too fast are driving up unemployment again and the independent budget watchdog says inflation will be higher and the economy will grow more slowly this year and next.

Gill added:

“George Osborne should have listened to Labour and repeated the bank bonus tax this year, to help young people into work, build thousands of affordable homes and boost business investment. That’s the fair things to do and would help to get our economy moving again and get people into work to help get the deficit down.

 Ed Balls MP, Labour’s shadow chancellor, said:

“These cuts are too far, too fast. Labour would be halving the deficit steadily over four years – not trying to cut it further and faster than any other major economy in the world.

“What we really need is a plan for jobs and growth to help people in Brighton & Hove and help get the deficit down. I will be urging the government to change course.”