Pre-Budget Report Good News For Pensioners In Constituency – Denis MacShane MP

Denis MacShane MP today welcomed the Pre-Budget Report unveiled by Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown as “good news for pensioners and young people in Rotherham”.

“Today’s Pre-Budget Report is good news for our pensioners and young people.

“Gordon Brown’s announcement free installation of central heating for pensioners on pension credit and £300 discount for all other pensioners will help tackle fuel poverty in Rotherham. In addition, confirmation that the Winter Fuel Allowance, worth £200 for pensioner households with someone over 60 (£300 for over 80s) for the rest of this Parliament, is great news for our 13,700 pensioners.

“The resources for a young people’s fund – worth about £500,000 over the next two years, for each local authority – will help strengthen our local communities with more activities for our young people, decided by our young people.

“Building on Labour’s platform of economic stability, Britain can meet and master the global economic challenge, meaning we can make the right decisions for the future, to invest in science and enterprise and help people gain skills and jobs.

“How different from the past when the global economic challenges that Britain has faced this year, would have tipped Britain into recession with families and businesses in Rotherham left to pay the price. Under the Tories, inflation was nearly 10 per cent, interest rates soared to 15 per cent, 1.5 million people suffered negative and unemployment hit three million.

“Today’s Tories would also fail to equip Britain for the future: they would scrap the New Deal which would return Britain to unemployment, cut the child tax credit that gives more support to families, and their flat tax would mean billions of pounds of cuts to our public services.
 
“With Labour, we have low inflation, low interest rates and employment is at record highs with unemployment having fallen by 56.4% since 1997 here in Rotherham.

“Today’s announcement shows that with Labour, Britain can meet the challenges of globalisation and continue to invest in our public services and give more support to pensioners, families and young people.”