Ruth responds to the Budget

Ruth Cadbury MP on the Governments 2026 Budget

''I welcome the Chancellor's Budget, which gives families and businesses across West London much-needed breathing space and fresh hope for the future.

This is a Budget that works to tackle big issues such as high energy costs, while also putting money back into people's pockets through the new Energy Bills Breathing Space Scheme.

This will deliver a £100 payment to around 37,000 households in my constituency alone and comes on top of the 0% rate of VAT on energy bills. The war in Iran has caused the global price of energy to spike, and I'm glad that the Government is acting to offset the cost of energy.

Over the past year, I've been listening to businesses across my constituency about the challenges they face, and I've heard time and again that the outdated business rates system causes significant difficulties. That's why I'm glad that the Government is delivering a real-terms freeze in business rates for some eligible properties, including around 900 in Hounslow and 900 in Richmond.

These policies are fully funded through increased taxes on adult gaming centres, bookmakers and vape shops, as well as a new temporary increase in the taxes paid by banks, which have made record profits over the past five years.

Finally, I'm particularly pleased that the Chancellor is ensuring that key projects such as the West London Orbital can be fully funded by giving the Mayor of London additional powers to fund new transport projects.

I'll continue to work to ensure that local families and businesses have the support they need."