Political opinion: Mike Reader MP - What the Budget means for Northampton: A fairer, brighter future for our town
On Wednesday we turned an important page. We’ve eased the pressure on household budgets, backed our local businesses and given people across Northampton the support they need. It is refreshing to see a plan that feels practical, fair and rooted in the everyday reality of people’s lives.
One of the biggest and most welcome changes is one that will be felt directly in our homes. From April, families will see £150 off their energy bills because we’re removing levies introduced by the previous government and shifting the burden away from households. In Northampton, where so many families live in older terraced or semi-detached houses that can be expensive to heat, this change will really make a difference.
I am also very pleased that the state pension will rise by nearly five percent in April next year. This is important for thousands of older residents in communities like Duston, Wootton, East Hunsbury and St James. They deserve security after decades of contribution and this increase helps provide exactly that.
Perhaps the strongest signal of support for Northampton comes in the form of permanent lower business rates for shops, cafés and bars. Combined with new laws to allow West Northamptonshire Council to block fake barber and vape shops, we are accelerating the regeneration of our town. Anyone who walks down Abington Street or Wellingborough Road knows how much our town relies on small independent businesses. These are the places that give Northampton its character. Lower business rates will help keep their doors open and protect local jobs.
For a town as dependent on cars as ours, the decision to freeze fuel duty is significant. With so many residents working at Brackmills, Moulton Park, Grange Park or commuting to neighbouring towns, the cost of filling up the car is not a small price. We’ve also frozen rail fares for the first time in 30 years, meaning that no matter how you travel, you’re supported with the cost.
Another announcement I welcome is free apprenticeship training for under 25s in small and medium sized businesses. Northampton has a young workforce and a wide range of industries that rely on apprenticeships, whether its logistics and manufacturing or construction and hospitality. This measure will help young people in areas like Delapre, Billing, and Briar Hill to take their first steps into skilled, stable work. It also gives local employers the confidence they need to hire and train the next generation.
Taken together, this Budget focuses on fairness and stability. It brings inflation down, invests in public services and supports families without placing extra burdens on ordinary taxpayers. It is a Budget that recognises the challenges facing Northampton but also believes in our potential.
I will continue working in Parliament to make sure Northampton gets the attention and investment it deserves. Our town has so much going for it and today’s Budget gives us a strong foundation to build on.