Mail Weekly Column: 27 November 2023

It’s been an exceptionally busy week, even before the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement to Parliament on Wednesday.

On Monday and Tuesday - with other members of the Home Affairs Committee - I was in Paris and Brussels continuing the Committee’s work arising from its report earlier in the year on Small Boat Crossings.

We met with officials from the French Government, the Belgian Government, and the EU to understand how partnerships between Britain and France are working out, and how discussions on this difficult issue are progressing. It was clear from the conversations that took place that countries across Europe, especially those on the southern borders, are feeling extreme pressure from migration. Countries across the EU are therefore looking at their options as to what they can do to support those in genuine need, while also going after the vicious criminal gangs trafficking people illegally.It was particularly interesting to hear first hand that a number of nations are now considering variations on the UK’s proposed Rwanda scheme. This is a topic that the Committee will return to regularly, as it continues to scrutinise the work of Government.

On Wednesday, I attended the Committee’s enquiry into Fraud. This session was looking at the issue of ‘catfishing’ where individuals, predominantly women, are groomed online by predatory criminals, sometimes for sexual gratification but more frequently to extort money. Some of you may have seen the Netflix documentary on the ‘Tinder Swindler’. One of the victims of that particular fraud, Cecilie Fjellhøy, spoke about her experience and it was truly harrowing to hear its impact on her. Another victim of a different kind of romance fraud, Anna Rowe, also told of a similarly unsettling encounter. Thousands are affected. The Committee will be continuing its enquiry well into the New Year. Fraud in all its guises is the single largest crime in the UK, and it is imperative that we improve our response to it.

Earlier in the year, our Prime Minister set out his plans to halve inflation, grow the economy, and to start to pay down the national debt. With these targets achieved, the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement marked the next step - allowing people to keep more of the money they earn, and encouraging SMEs, and large businesses to invest and grow in order to support and grow the economy.

I’m sure you will have seen the details on the news so I won't repeat every word, but I particularly welcomed the announcements within the Statement that the Government plans to cut people’s National Insurance contributions, deliver a £11 billion business tax cut, cut business rates for small business (I'm grateful that the Chancellor called out my lobbying for this at the dispatch box!), and to get more people into work by reforming welfare.

There were other important measures too - increasing the State pension, supporting 1.6million low-income families with an uplift to their housing benefit, protecting local pubs, bars and cafes, and boosting the National Living Wage by the largest cash increase ever.

This Statement is an important next step. The cost of living crisis has been profoundly difficult, and now it's time to take the long-term decisions to reduce debt, cut taxes, reward hard work and back British business – making people and businesses better off for the long term.