Strathearn Herald: Monthly article - March 2008

17 March 2008

I was in the House of Commons Chamber last week to hear the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, deliver his first Budget.

This is always one of the great Parliamentary occasions. But I'm more interested in what it means for people in Ochil & South Perthshire And I was pleased that this Budget is great news for pensioners, families and children here.

Over 9 million pensioner households nationwide and nearly 6000 households in this constituency will get extra cash to pay their heating bills this year.

And 11,570 families in this area will gain from the increases in Child Benefit.

I welcome the Budget focus on tackling two of the big issues of today - child poverty and climate change. Under Labour, we have had 10 years of economic stability and growth – we should never put that at risk.

The investment the Labour Government has made has supported many people in realising their potential. By maintaining a strong and stable economy we have been able to invest in our public services after years of underinvestment.

Today the global slowdown means we face uncertain economic times. The turbulence in the American mortgage market has touched economies all over the world - including ours. But here in Britain we are better placed than other countries and better placed than we ever were in the past to deal with this.

The Budget reports that the economy is resilient, and continuing to grow. The Government is meeting its strict fiscal rules for the public finances.

So I support this responsible Budget to secure Britain's stability in the face of global uncertainty.