Spring Statement: Families in Woking to pay the price for Chancellor's failure 

The Lib Dems have slammed the Spring Statement as a "massive missed opportunity" to help families in Woking and across the country.

The party has called for the standard rate of VAT to be reduced from 20% to 17.5% for one year. It comes after the Chancellor's lacklustre Spring Statement failed to adequately protect local families from soaring bills and the Conservatives' worsening cost of living crisis.

The Lib Dem plans would support the economy by boosting spending on local high streets. The proposals would also be expected to keep inflation down by making the prices of everyday items lower than they would have been.

Lib Dem Spokesperson for Woking, Councillor Will Forster, said:

"People across our community were looking to Rishi Sunak today for a helping hand in facing this once in a generation cost of living crisis. Eye-watering price hikes are leaving many in Woking struggling to make ends meet."

"This was crunch time for the Chancellor and the Tories, and they have not stepped up to the mark. It is families in Woking who they have clobbered with unfair tax hikes who will pay the price for this massive missed opportunity."

"Rishi Sunak should stop putting his pride over people, scrap his punishing tax hikes, and back Lib Dem calls for an emergency cut to VAT. This would put £22,650,000 back into the pockets of 37,600 households in our area and support our local shops, cafes and restaurants."