MPs have reported positive responses to the Budget from residents after a nationwide campaign weekend.
Activists and MPs from across the country went canvassing after Rachel Reeves unveiled Labour’s first Budget in almost 15 years, with many of the measures announced proving popular with voters.
A selection of Labour MPs told LabourList that they received a positive reaction from residents to the Budget, praising the decision to grant more funding to public services, particularly the NHS.
One of Labour’s new MPs in the south of England told LabourList that the mood on the doorstep had been “very positive” with residents “supportive of the Budget overall”.
The MP said that residents in their constituency were “pleased with the funding going into public services, particularly the NHS, and happy with the increase to the minimum wage and carers allowance”.
“There was recognition of the difficult decisions that have to be made as a result of the issues the Labour government has inherited and are now working hard to put right,” she said.
Another MP shared a similar experience and said that the Labour vote was “holding up strong” on the doorstep, with “only a couple of negative reactions to the Budget”.
While one new Labour MP in the north of England told LabourList he had received emails from some GPs expressing concern about business rates, residents on the doorstep raised “no concerns with the Budget”.
“I thought it was far more upbeat than expected and addresses my constituents’ concerns around the NHS, schools, a fairer tax system and infrastructure.”
It comes after polling from YouGov revealed that voters were supportive of many of the measures included in last week’s Budget, including increasing taxes on flights of private jets, freezing fuel duty, increasing the minimum wage, scrapping the non-dom tax regime and boosting day-to-day spending on the NHS.
However, increasing the bus fare cap from £2 to £3 proved the most unpopular, with 55% of those surveyed saying the decision was the wrong thing to do.
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