Finance Bill

I would like to pay tribute in this week’s column to my colleague the late Gwyneth Dunwoody MP whose death this week has saddened the many who knew and respected her.

I first met Gwyneth when, as newly elected candidate to fight the Stoke on Trent North seat, I was invited to address a trade union engineering meeting at the Crewe workshops. Many of the people who worked there lived in this constituency. Sharing a platform with the formidable Gwyneth was a stark introduction to her deep understanding of the transport agenda, her skills as a politician and her care and commitment to the Labour principles that guided the whole of her life. 

Gwyneth never minced her words, always spoke her mind, carried over her family's commitment to the Labour government and was a tireless campaigner in parliament, in her constituency and in her chairmanship of the Transport Select Committee. She knew her brief backwards and was able, in the shortest of interventions to ministers at the despatch box of the House of Commons, to put the problem that needed addressing succinctly and in such a way that government ministers understood had to be given a proper answer. 

Gwyneth's life was politics. She was committed to standing again and she will be sorely missed.  Parliament needs more people like Gwyneth who will question and scrutinise Government and stand up for what they believe in.

This week's debate on the Finance Bill will be a litmus test of the influence MPs have. Three things are of particular interest to me.

Firstly, the removal of the 10% tax rate.  Yes the government has done a great deal to improve the incomes of the lowest paid through the tax credit system but the removal of the 10p tax rate will adversely effect some of the most vulnerable members of our society. In the coming months I want to see the government work with MPs to compensate those most affected by this.

Secondly Industrial Buildings Allowances. A number of businesses in our constituency have been affected by the phased withdrawal of industrial buildings allowances and I am keen to see the Government continue to support investment in our manufacturing industries.

Finally, using Enhanced Capital Allowances to encourage greater energy efficiency in industrial buildings. I am looking for legislation to enable  Enhanced Capital Allowances to apply to commercial buildings to encourage construction companies to source the most energy efficient, as opposed to the cheapest, building materials.  Such incentives have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions whilst also reducing heating, lighting and air-conditioning costs for the building occupier.