Matthew has welcomed today’s budget which delivers on many of the pledges made in the 2019 Conservative Manifesto. The 2020 budget, the first in two years and delivered by new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, outlined the government’s tax and spending plans for the year.

The budget delivers many of the pledges that Matthew was elected on in the General Election last year including scrapping hospital parking charges for those in need, money for 20,000 new police officers and 50,000 new nurses as well as 50 million new GP appointments.

One of the key focuses was the UK’s response to coronavirus. The Chancellor announced £5bn emergency funding alongside a £30bn package to help the NHS combat it in the coming months.

Matthew said: “The COVID-19 outbreak is a serious threat to not only our health but to our economy and people’s personal finances. In light of this I welcome this emergency budgeting and in particular help for the self-employed – of which there are many in Hendon – who will be able to claim ESA.”

Another key announcement was a new £1bn fund to remove all unsafe combustible cladding from housing. Matthew commented that this would be particularly welcome in areas of the constituency such as Colindale, where leaseholders have been fighting unfair costs to remove such cladding.

On the environment, Matthew, who is a member of the Environmental Audit Committee, welcomed a plastic packaging tax to cut down on the scourge of plastic pollution. Also announced was billions of pounds for flood defences.

Matthew said of the budget: “This is clearly a budget which demonstrates that the British public were right to put their faith in this Government in last year’s General Election.

“There are many things delivered in this budget that will have a direct impact on people’s lives in the Hendon constituency – from more GP appointments to help for the self-employed and even keeping drink prices low to help our local pubs.”

Other announcements included:

• £2.5bn to fix potholes and resurface roads over five years
• £650m package to tackle homelessness
• Stamp duty surcharge for foreign buyers of UK properties
• Duties on spirits, beer, cider and wine to be frozen
• The tax on women’s sanitary products to be scrapped
• Firms eligible for small business rates relief will get £3,000 cash grant