Vikki Slade MP, in her Budget Debate speech, calls on the Chancellor to exempt businesses such as GPs, Hospices and Nurseries from the employers NI increase and postpone the reduction of retail hospitality and Leisure relief until full Business Rates reform is ready.

Positioning her speech by explaining how the current government had been placed in the position of having to make difficult choices following years of Conservative mis-management, Vikki went on to explain that whilst choices have to be made, she was ‘shocked at the short sightedness of some of the decisions made.’

She highlighted the cases of local businesses such as the Corfe Mullen Dental Practice and Tops Day Nurseries as well as Julia’s House hospice.  In each case, the increase in Employers NI has had a dramatic impact on their costs, threatening the level of service they can provide.

Turning to business rates, Vikki pointed out that businesses had been promised reform of business rates had not materialised leaving businesses in the high streets of Mid Dorset & North Poole in a position where they may not be able to continue to trade.

Closing her speech, she asked for urgent consideration of 2 things:

• Rethink the national insurance change to exempt organisations allied to the NHS and education like GPs, hospices and nurseries, getting the money from big banks and share buybacks.

• Postpone the reduction of retail hospitality and leisure relief until full business rate reform is ready and keep our high streets alive.

The video can be seen here – https://youtu.be/G2T5cR6BgN4

The full text of Vikki’s speech:

There is no doubt that the conservative government left our public services tatters and the NHS on life support, and that this government was left with no choice but to make tough decisions.

I understand this, having led a council that had been conservative run

where important decisions about employee pay were delayed, vanity projects or money wasted and where reserves were slashed so badly that the council was on the edge of bankruptcy.

But to govern is to choose, and I am shocked at the short sightedness

of some of the decisions made in last week's budget.  It is true that the average worker won't see tax rise on their pay slip, but their employer will now be calculating whether there will be any pay rises at all next year or whether to issue some of their workers with their P45.

Shops, pubs and cafes, facing increases in national insurance and national minimum wage are already struggling as households deal with the cost-of-living pressures and their own rising prices in energy and stock, and will promised full reform of business rates.

Instead, their cost will skyrocket as their 75% business rate relief is slash to 40%.  Granted, the relief has been made permanent, but where is the commercial land owner levy or charge on internet giants?

Surely taxing the most wealthy rather than hitting small businesses with tax that takes no account of profits or purpose would be fairer.

I said it last week and I will say it again now, rental auctions and compulsory purchase may in theory get the markets moving, but if businesses in high streets like Wareham in my constituency of Mid Dorset and North Poole cannot afford to trade, the high street cannot redefine its purpose.

Turning back to national insurance, like my colleagues I've been contacted by businesses, public sector organisations and charities sharing their calculations relating to its impact.

Corfe Mullen dental practice recently recruited a graduate dentist specifically to serve the child NHS population, boosting the capacity in my area.  The increase in NI for the staff has wiped out half of her annual salary, and if we're going to stop dentists leaving the NHS,

we need exemptions for them now.

Julia's House children's hospice has calculated their NI increase is £242,000 a year, and shockingly, Tops nursery, that has several early year settings in my constituency, has calculated a half million pound increase without any additional increase in childcare funding.

The Lib Dems have called for taxes on energy giants and big banks. We agree those with the broadest shoulders should pay more, but this budget has mistaken whose shoulders are broad.

So I'm asking for urgent consideration of two things:

Rethink the national insurance change to exempt organisations allied to the NHS and education like GPs, hospices and nurseries and get the extra money from big banks and share buybacks and postpone the reduction of retail hospitality and leisure relief until full business rate reform is ready and keep our high streets alive.