Politically Speaking column with Simon Lightwood MP: A bit of breathing space for families and businesses across Wakefield and Rothwell

I know many families across our area are feeling the squeeze, from the weekly food shop and filling up the car to paying energy bills and making ends meet. That’s why I wanted to see practical help in this budget: a bit more breathing space for households, support for local businesses and real reasons to feel more hopeful about the future. And there are some really important announcements that will make a difference right here on our doorstep.

Let’s start with energy bills. More than 45,000 households across Wakefield and Rothwell will receive £100 towards their energy bills this winter – welcome support when every penny counts. We’re also scrapping VAT on electricity until July next year, removing gas standing charges, which currently cost the average household over £100 a year, and freezing fuel duty, with the 5p cut extended to help keep fuel costs down. We’re also increasing mileage rates for people who use their own cars for work.

And it’s not just households that need support. Our local shops, pubs, cafés, restaurants and other high street businesses are at the heart of our communities, providing jobs, bringing people together and keeping our high streets alive. That’s why I’m pleased to see a £1 billion package of business support announced in the budget. It includes a two-year real-terms freeze in business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties, while 70,000 businesses will be taken out of business rates altogether. I know there will still be challenges for some businesses, but this is an important step in helping our high streets and local employers.

And then there’s housing. For many people, particularly younger people and first-time buyers, the idea of owning their own home can feel like an increasingly distant dream. We need to change that. The Chancellor is investing £4.7 billion to help thousands of first-time buyers get onto the property ladder, alongside a further £1.5 billion for social and affordable housing. This builds on the £39 billion announced last year to deliver the next generation of affordable homes. Because everyone deserves a decent, affordable place to call home.

Of course, no budget can fix everything overnight, and I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. I know many people are still struggling. But this budget shows a government focused on the things that matter in people’s everyday lives: help with energy bills, keeping bus fares at £2, freezing fuel duty and tackling unfair parking charges. These may seem like small measures, but they can make a real difference to household budgets and give families a little more breathing space.

People don’t just want promises from politicians. They want to see things getting better. They want to know they’re being listened to and that decisions made in Westminster are making a difference to everyday life here in Wakefield and Rothwell. For me, that’s what this budget is about: directing support where it’s needed most, helping families and businesses and giving people reasons to feel more positive about the future.

There’s still work to do, but I believe we’re moving in the right direction.