The budget was a real missed opportunity, with nothing significant on nature or climate.
First of all, 50% increase in bus fares people are being punished for using greener methods of transport. In Nottingham twice as many people use the bus for work than the national average, so this is really going to hit working people hard. We should have seen massive investment in public transport.
Secondly we’re seeing significant tax rises, and most of that is falling on work, not on wealth. Bringing in a wealth tax, rather than taxing employment would mean that the knock on from the money raised wouldn’t end up on the cost of your cup of coffee.
Finally on public services. There was hardly anything for local government. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, and other councils across the east midlands have got huge holes in their budgets after 14 years of tory cuts.
Labour’s slogan was change, but we’re being given more of the same.
Councils desperately need more funding and aren’t getting it, so we’re going to see Labour closing more libraries and other public facilities in the near future. If people are being asked to pay more taxes they should be able to see it being spent on their local services.
If the government was serious about tackling climate change then we should have seen strong signals in the budget, but it was just more tinkering around the edges.
For more local views on the budget check out our latest interview on BBC iplayer.