POWYS politicians have reacted to the 2024 Budget, with views ranging from ‘total support for working people’ to ‘lacking a vision for Wales’.

Montgomeryshire MP Steve Witherden, a Labour MP in his first budget, praised Chancellor Rachel Reeves, saying the boost in the national wages will be welcomed.

He said: “This Budget shows that the government is firmly on the side of working people – fuel duty frozen to keep prices down at the pump, permanently lower tax rates for small businesses in retail and hospitality, and long-term investment into our public services.

“Income tax, National Insurance, and VAT will all remain the same.

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“Working people will not be dragged into higher tax bands by stealth, they will not pay higher taxes on hard-earned wages, and they will no longer have to bear the burden of an unserious government that simply kicks the can down the road.

“Instead, the lowest paid will receive a boost with the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage both rising. Public services will get more funding, meaning lower hospital waiting times, better schools, and more reliable transport.

“Today we saw a government that understands the need to invest in the future.

“To invest in communities, skills, healthcare, education, infrastructure, transport, housing and more so that we can fix the foundations of our economy and deliver real improvements in living standards.

“We will not choose the path of irresponsibility – Labour will restore stability, protect working people, fix the NHS, and rebuild Britain.”

However, David Chadwick, Lib Dem MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, said the budget failed farmers.

He added: “This budget fails to offer an ambitious vision for Wales that would mark a long-term investment in its future, it punishes small businesses and will be a disaster for family farms. 

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“Labour has failed to deliver the billions owed to Wales from HS2, yet constituents like mine are facing deep cuts in their rail services.

“Meanwhile, the Chancellor has chosen to increase taxation for the small businesses that are the lifeblood of the Welsh economy instead of taking aim at the enormous profits of the banks, oil and gas giants and big tech.

“The Chancellor’s Family Farm Tax risks being a death knell for local farmers who have already faced attacks on their livelihoods by the Welsh Labour Government, who have shown time and time again they have no understanding of the rural economy or the work that goes into making sure the public have food on their plates.”