Opposition MPs have called for a general election as soon as possible following Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget announcement on Wednesday, March 6.
During his address to Parliament, Hunt said the UK economy had turned a corner under his stewardship.
However, Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat MP for Twickenham felt the Budget failed to address core issues for her constituents.
Wilson said: “Our residents are facing spiralling mortgages and bills.
“It’s time for a change – we need a general election as soon as possible.”
Wilson said Jeremy Hunt’s statements included “a lot of empty promises” because residents will be “far worse under the Conservative tax hikes” of recent years.
She instead highlighted the need to prioritise public services such as the NHS.
“The Budget today didn’t deliver any significant change,” she said.
“It wasn’t just me, a lot of colleagues came out of the chamber and felt the same.
“The only way to improve the situation is to kick out the Conservative government and get a new administration that understands the needs of local people and will invest in public services.”
Marsha de Cordova, Labour MP for Battersea, shared similar sentiments for Hunt and his colleagues following the Budget announcement.
“Even within the Tory ranks, they are claiming that the Chancellor ‘is fiddling while Rome burns’,” she said.
“The Tories have failed our country over the past 14 years and left the country in a mess.”
“If the Chancellor can’t even command the support of his own party, it is time to step aside.
“We need a general election.”
During his announcement, the Chancellor promised an additional £2.5billion to help the NHS meet pressures in the coming year and fund a longer-term transformation.
de Cordova argued: “The NHS is in the biggest crisis in its history, thanks to the Tories’ choices.”
de Cordova also explained why the Budget was particularly disastrous for disabled people.
“Despite repeatedly promising they would consult on a social energy tariff, there was nothing on this, demonstrating those were just empty words.
“Nor are there reports of any further cost-of-living or disability payments, despite continued pressures on households.”
Featured image credit: Sarah Agnew on Unsplash
