A WEEK before the Budget – with MPs present from areas affected by the former Conservative government’s “40 new hospitals” empty stunt – was pleased to ensure Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital, and our need to replace leaky maternity and paediatric buildings, was item number one on the agenda with the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting.

He has asked us to clarify the economic and transport benefits the project could bring.

A week after the Budget announcement, I’m demanding confirmation on the project although there was some good news for the NHS, with an extra £22.5 billion plus £4.1 billion for capital projects and repairs.

Having used our new numbers as Liberal Democrat MPs to devote a whole day of Parliament's business to carers and primary care, we are of course pleased the clawing back of money from those on carers’ allowance will be addressed, and with the raising of earnings limits to 16 hours per week. But we wanted much more support for carers, by increasing the allowance itself.

In other respects, though, this Budget disappoints.

The extra £600milion for social care and the and the £1 billion pounds for children with special educational needs and disability are welcome but simply won’t be enough to fix the crisis in care and local government.

As Somerset’s Lib Dem Leader, Bill Revans, has said, local government needed £2.3 billion to stand still – it’s received £1.3 billion which will mean more heartbreaking decisions.

And the Chancellor didn’t even mention dentistry.

For too many businesses, this Budget is potentially disastrous. Increasing the rate of National Insurance and reducing the threshold to £5,000 is a tax on jobs, hitting local firms with lots of workers, like care providers.

Warwick University reports that 60% of UK care-home beds are operated by companies which could go bankrupt should they experience even a ‘mild economic shock’.

Hospitality will also be hit by the reduction in business rates relief from 75% to 40% from April – a real blow for the sector.

While footloose investors dodging tax by putting funds in agricultural land should pay tax like everyone else, family farms will suffer from losing inheritance tax relief with many broken up and sold off.

The effects on tenant farmers could be worse. The Chancellor should have put in a family farm test which we would have supported.

Illiberal leanings of this Labour government are worrying. The State accessing the bank accounts of people on benefits is authoritarian.

Furthermore, education, however and wherever it is provided, is key to people realising their dreams. We don’t, therefore, add tax to tutors’, university or college fees so neither should we tax families for paying school fees.

Taunton and Wellington’s concentration of great independent schools, along with the increases in National Insurance and business rates they will pay, suggest this Budget could be disastrous for our local economy.  

This Budget could have gone so much further if the big banks and energy companies were asked to pay more instead of costs falling on small businesses, the lifeblood of our economy, here in Somerset and across the country.

Meanwhile, in cancelling the dualling of the A358 between Taunton and Southfields, we must make sure the government still funds the bypass desperately needed for Henlade and Thornfalcon.

Wellington’s new station is another of my top priorities but, at the time of writing, I had just heard that a further meeting with the Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, has been postponed which is an alarming development.

I will, of course, keep pressing to ensure this essential project goes ahead.

Outside of a busy Budget week, it was great to open the first Wellington Together event (pictured) - well done to the organisers - while Taunton Carnival is always a must for us. Congratulations to the Carnival Committee on another great event.