A WIRRAL MP has called out the government’s “brutal cuts” and “appalling levels of poverty” during a debate on the Spring Budget.

Margaret Greenwood MP was taking part in a debate on the spring budget which was delivered to parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt last week.

The Wirral West MP spoke about the government’s cuts to local authorities in recent years stating that figures from the House of Commons Library show that “Wirral saw a 28.6% real-terms drop in settlement funding between 2015-16 and 2023-24”.

She also stated that these cuts “have led to the loss of Woodchurch swimming pool and leisure centre, as well as council-run libraries in Hoylake, Pensby, Irby and Woodchurch”.

She also raised that there was also a 54% drop in real-terms spending on youth services in Wirral between 2012/13 and 2022/23.

The MP also raised concerns about the impact of government underfunding in other areas since 2010, including the NHS and social care, police and fire services stating that the “insufficient support for the seven million adults who are functionally illiterate and the cuts to legal aid which have left people in Wirral without access to justice in areas such as housing and social security”. She spoke of the “failure of government to address the impact of austerity".

Margaret Greenwood MP said: “This budget has failed to address the acute challenges that our country is facing. 

“The Chancellor has merely thrown crumbs to 14 million people who are living in poverty, including around four million children.

“He has provided a measly six-month extension of the household support fund, a scheme that aims to help people who are vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials.

“Does he think that after September there will no longer be people who need help with the cost of food and utilities? The government seems to have no concern for the plight of millions who are really struggling.

“The Chancellor’s treatment of pensioners was shameful too. Many more will be worse off due to changes to income tax. Why is he punishing them?

“The last 14 years of Conservative rule has seen brutal cuts with more planned for the years ahead.

“Where was the funding in this budget to address the devastating impact of years of austerity?

“Ultimately, this is a budget from a government that lacks any ambition to serve the majority across the country.

“The Conservative legacy is one of decimated public services and appalling levels of poverty and inequality.

“It is time that we have a government who will give an immediate injection of funding to public services and work to ensure that no one suffers poverty.”