Nigel's Winter Newsletter 2024

It is a pleasure to write to you again as your local Member of Parliament for Droitwich, Evesham and the villages. Since my last update a lot has changed in Westminster; the Labour Party presented their first budget in fourteen years, the Conservative Party has elected a new leader and, more personally, I was deeply honoured to be appointed Co-chair of the Conservative Party. Throughout all of these changes I have continued to represent the best interests of my constituency and hold the new government to account across a range of policy areas including planning, health, the economy, rural affairs and education.

Given the events of recent months, I hope you will forgive me for writing a more politically-charged update than usual!

October saw a particularly busy month in Westminster as we approached the Chancellor’s Budget. And having spent the election campaign and months since warning of Labour tax rises we were greeted by a budget of broken promises which will harm workers and business alike. For example, during the election campaign the Labour Party promised not to raise taxes on working people, yet the Chancellor has increased the rates of employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) in a clear breach of manifesto commitments. In contrast, in my previous role as Financial Secretary to the Treasury I oversaw two cuts in NICs, benefitting some 29 million people – including tens of thousands across Worcestershire.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has said that the rise in employer NICs will be passed almost entirely onto working people through lower pay and, in some cases, redundancies, and I am particularly worried about the impact this tax rise will have on the hospitality and leisure sector both locally and nationally.

As an MP representing a largely rural constituency, I am also deeply concerned about the proposed changes to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief (APR) in particular that were announced at the budget, which the NFU warns could have a “crippling effect” on family farms and domestic food security. Many small businesses – including those on my constituency – had expressed concerns about changes to these reliefs, which are critical to business planning and the overall sustainability of the rural economy. I was therefore pleased to meet farmers from my constituency and representatives from the NFU in Parliament last month [November] as part of the demonstrations and protests against this ill-conceived policy. Prior to the General Election, the now Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had said “we [Labour] have no intention of changing APR”, yet in breaking this promise the Government has pushed ahead with a policy which will harm rural areas across the country, including in Worcestershire.

These recently-announced measures will have a direct impact on our constituency and come on top of the deeply flawed decision to impose VAT and business rates on independent schools from January 2025, which will affect over 6,500 students in Worcestershire. Furthermore, the Labour Government has made a deliberate policy choice to scrap winter fuel payments for over 21,000 people in our constituency alone. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to remind constituents that the deadline to apply for Pension Credit is Saturday 21st December. Anyone in receipt of Pension Credit will be automatically enrolled to receive the Winter Fuel Payment. Applications can be made online or by calling the claim line on 0800 99 1234.

Despite the concerns I have regarding the policies of this government, there is plenty to celebrate across the constituency. Local businesses have been shortlisted for the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards, Churches have received funding for essential repairs and £1.3 million has been invested in six grassroots football facilities across the constituency, to name just a few examples from recent weeks. Last, but by no means least, our constituency was so-brilliantly represented at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. I would particularly like to congratulate Droitwich’s Matt Richards for his incredible achievements, including defending his Gold medal as part of the 4x200 metre freestyle relay as well as Rebecca Redfern, also from Droitwich, who was recently awarded an MBE for services to young people.

There is no doubt that 2024 has been a tumultuous year both in the United Kingdom and indeed beyond. But as the year draws to a close and we look towards 2025, I would like to wish all of you a peaceful Christmas and a happy new year.