MP welcomes a Budget for Hull's schools

Hull North Diana Johnson MP today welcomed the Budget unveiled by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as "a budget for Hull's schools".

The Chancellor's Budget announced an extra £585 million for education, more help for families and pensioners, and a further boost for enterprise and science.

Diana Johnson MP said: "This was a Budget for Hull's schools and Britain's future.

"Gordon Brown is building on Labour's platform of low inflation and economic stability, while steadily investing in our children's schools and other public services, science and enterprise, and helping people gain new skills and jobs.

"The extra £585 million for education will mean direct money for the typical primary school will rise from £31,000 this year to £40,000; and from £98,000 this year to £185,000 for the typical secondary school. This investment comes on top of Labour's plans to invest in improving the fabric of Hull's primary and secondary schools and, allied to reform, will help give all our children the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

"The increase in the child support will help the 20,700 families 35,200 children in Hull who benefit from Labour's tax credits. Free off-peak national bus travel will extend what Hull's Labour Council has already done locally for Hull's 43,300 pensioners. The increase in the starting threshold for stamp duty will help first-time buyers and those on low incomes onto the housing ladder.

"With Labour, inflation and interest rates are low, with two million more jobs than in 1997. Unemployment in Hull North alone has fallen by 28.3 per cent since 1997. How different this is from the Tory recessions of the 1980s and 1990s, with inflation at 10 per cent and interest rates reaching 15 per cent. Families and businesses paid the price, as 1.5 million people suffered negative equity and unemployment hit three million across Britain.

"Today, the Tories would fail to equip Britain for the global economy. They are committed to scrapping the New Deal, which would reverse the fall in unemployment, and cutting the child tax credit that helps hard-working families. Billions of pounds of public spending cuts would slash investment in science, infrastructure, and key public services.

"Meanwhile, until the Liberal Democrats can explain where the money is coming from to pay for their endless list of tax and spending commitments, no-one can take their profligate pledges seriously.

"Only Labour is making the right decisions to ensure that Britain - and a regenerating Hull - are equipped to face the economic challenges and opportunities of the future."