THE announcement of the annual government budget by the Government has been met with criticism from the member of parliament for Torridge and Tavistock.

Sir Geoffrey Cox KC spent the day with farmers who had gone to protest the government proposals to include agricultural land in the properties subject to inheritance tax, often referred to using the moniker ‘family farm tax’.

The Conservative member of parliament expressed his displeasure at both the economic performance of the country under its present stewardship and the impact it will have on people.

He particularly criticised the decisions to increase some taxes in order to ‘subsidise’ increases in state spending on welfare in addition to saying that the government, in his view, promised growth and change and only delivered disappointment in equal measure while only succeeding in changing its promises.

In reaction to the budget, Sir Geoffrey Cox said: “As I warned during the election last year, despite Labour’s promises, if you work hard and save, build businesses and provide employment, put aside for your retirement, or want to leave something to the next generation, this Government is coming for you. It will punish prudence, self-reliance and aspiration to subsidise feckless and unsustainable increases in state spending on welfare, which it knows it must control, but has not the courage to do so.

With the economy groaning under the burdens the Chancellor has heaped on it in just 16 short months, the writing is on the wall, and we have seen the future under Labour. As the OBR tells us, over the Parliament, productivity and growth will be down, inflation will be up, and GDP will be down as taxes and debt spiral. This is the Government that promised growth and change, but has delivered disappointment and disillusionment in equal measure, while the only thing it has changed is its promises.”