Budget day

Today the Chancellor will use the Budget to set out the next phase of the plan for suppressing the virus and putting our country on the road to recovery, building back better and greener from this pandemic.

At the start of this pandemic, the Government said that they would do whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods.
 
Over the last year the UK has put in place one of the world’s most comprehensive economic responses – backed by over £280 billion – to protect jobs, businesses, and public services.
 
And today’s Budget will build on these measures, with a three-part plan to: support people and businesses through the coming months, begin to fix our public finances with a fair and honest plan, and build our future economy.
 
The Government will use it's full fiscal firepower to support jobs and businesses throughout and beyond this pandemic, including:

 - Extending furlough until September, helping millions of people through the challenging months ahead.
 - Expanding and extending our self-employment support schemes with two further grants, so that more people can get the support they need.
 - £5 billion to help the high street recover, ensuring the hardest-hit businesses have the support they need through the next stage of recovery.
 - Billions of pounds to underpin the new UK Infrastructure Bank, funding projects crucial to creating jobs, delivering net zero and levelling up the country.
 - £126 million for traineeships and ‘flexi-job’ apprenticeships, helping people back into work and harnessing their talents for the future.
 - £1.6 billion for the vaccine rollout, helping to maintain the momentum as we work towards offering a vaccine to every adult by the end of July.
 
There is now light at the end of the tunnel with a roadmap for reopening our city and the rest country, and today’s Budget will continue to deliver all the support business and individuals need through the challenging months ahead.

I know from all my constituency work that this has been a difficult period for Norwich, just as in the rest of the country. However, the support that has been provided is extensive. I am confident in the strength of the UK’s economy and I believe that our fine city and our country will bounce back stronger from the shock of Covid-19.