Guildford’s Lib Dem Candidate Calls on Guildford’s MP to Vote Against ‘Shambolic’ Budget

Published on: 27 Sep, 2022
Updated on: 29 Sep, 2022

Zoe Franklin

By Martin Giles

Guildford’s MP should help vote down Kwasi Kwarteng’s “shambolic” mini-budget according to Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Guildford, Zöe Franklin.

The call comes as the pound sunk to a record low against the dollar. A weak pound risks raising further food and petrol prices and spiking mortgage interest rates.

The government hopes that the tax cuts and other measures announced will drive economic growth.

Nationally, Liberal Democrats are demanding Parliament be recalled this week so that urgent action can be taken to address the unfolding disaster. They’re also calling for a tougher windfall tax on oil and gas giants to help people and businesses with their bills, and new investment in local health services.

Guildford’s prospective Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Zöe Franklin said: “The Chancellor’s out of touch and shambolic budget has been exposed as a reckless gamble.  The Conservatives are giving huge unfunded tax cuts to the banks while neglecting local health services and hammering ordinary people with years of tax hikes.

“Ordinary people across Guildford and Cranleigh that I’ve spoken to are really concerned about being landed with higher bills, higher taxes and higher mortgage payments thanks to the government’s incompetence.

“Angela Richardson (MP) should listen to the concerns from our community and put her residents’ needs first by voting down this shambolic budget and backing Liberal Democrat calls to support local people and businesses instead.”

Angela Richardson MP

Ms Richardson supported Rishi Sunak and his more fiscally prudent approach over the new PM Liz Truss in the recent Conservative leadership election. But in a statement given to The Dragon she is showing little sign of rebelling against the government.

She said: “The plan for growth set out by the chancellor last week is just one part of an overall financial package that includes huge sums to help local schools, charities, hospitals and businesses – and also households genuinely concerned about how they are going to get through the winter.

“The government has capped energy prices to keep bills as low as they can be, gone ahead with already announced payments to families, reduced the lower rate of income tax for everyone and cancelled the planned National Insurance rise.

“It has reformed stamp duty to help people get on the property ladder and is moving to encourage growth so that our economy will expand and fund the services we need.

“I am always ready to hear constituents’ feedback and have met with the Chancellor of the Exchequer this afternoon to represent the views I have already received.

“What we have from the Liberal Democrats is a cherry-picking exercise; you cannot vote against part of an overall help and growth package and it still be effective.

“I am putting pressure on the government to bring forward the non-tax supply-side part of the package promised by the Chancellor that will enable the economy to grow and help people through these challenging times.”

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