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

  1. Michael Hope Reply

    September 28, 2022 at 7:36 am

    Ridiculous spin from Angela Richardson. Any benefit to people from the tax cuts will disappear with the higher inflation and interest rates caused by the mini-budget.

    All MPs should be voting against it.

  2. Stuart Barnes Reply

    September 28, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    I am sure that our MP will be grateful for this advice from our local Liberals.

  3. Dave Fielding Reply

    October 1, 2022 at 5:13 am

    The Lib Dems are being their normal silly selves. With inflation and rising energy prices large parts of the population are going to struggle. What this budget does is protect a small percentage of the population and make them happy. Why should we pay for them!

    MP Angela Richardson can keep warm by burning all her “ ready for Richie” posters.

  4. Sue Hackman Reply

    October 3, 2022 at 6:32 pm

    I do not agree with Zoe Franklin that the budget was “shambolic”. Chillingly, it was consciously planned, in line with stated intentions, and completely consistent with unswerving Conservative ideology. It was honest. It was naked. It was plain for us all to see the beneficiaries of Conservativism. On behalf of the bottom 90 per cent of the population, I hope they reap the whirlwind.

    Sue Hackman is a member of the Guildford Labour Party

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