Charlotte Cane MP: Chancellor’s Budget must deliver real change for Ely and East Cambridgeshire
Ahead of the Budget, local Liberal Democrat MP Charlotte Cane has said the Chancellor “must deliver real change” for Ely and East Cambridgeshire, including:
- An emergency VAT cut of 5% for hospitality, accommodation and visitor attractions until April 2027 to support struggling high streets.
- Scrapping the unfair National Insurance hike hitting jobs, small businesses and people’s pay packets.
- Proper long-term funding for public services, including the NHS, schools and local councils.
Charlotte Cane has also renewed her call for urgent government investment to upgrade Ely Junction, a nationally significant rail bottleneck. The business case shows the scheme could deliver £4.89 for every £1 invested and generate a further £60 million in wider economic benefits – boosting local jobs, trade and connectivity across the region.
Speaking ahead of the Budget, Charlotte Cane MP said:
“Across Ely and East Cambridgeshire, the cost of living is biting hard into family budgets, small businesses are hanging on by their fingertips, and public services are being stretched to breaking point.
This Budget has to be a turning point. It must deliver real change. But unless the Chancellor changes course, our families, high streets and local jobs will just face even more pressure.
Rural communities like ours are too often an afterthought in Whitehall. Rachel Reeves needs to scrap the family farm tax, protect rural services and properly fund policing to tackle rural crime.
And if she is serious about driving growth, she must commit to upgrading Ely Junction – a nationally critical rail bottleneck. Fixing it would unlock jobs, trade and investment across the East and beyond.
After years of Conservative economic mismanagement, people were promised change – not another round of bad decisions. If this Government won’t back local businesses, public services and infrastructure like Ely Junction, how can anyone believe their plan for growth?”