Lewes MP pledges to reject Brexit budget cuts

Speaking earlier today (Wednesday, June 14) the chancellor said he would be forced to make widespread spending cuts to the NHS and other services as well as raise taxes, including inheritance and income tax, if the UK votes to leave the EU.

Following the announcement 57 Conservative MPs who back the Leave campaign – including Ms Caulfield – signed a joint statement promising to vote against Mr Osborne’s post-Brexit budget cuts.

In the joint statement the MPs said: “We find it incredible that the chancellor could seriously be threatening to renege on so many manifesto pledges.

“It is absurd to say that if people vote to take back control from the EU that he would want to punish them in this way. We do not believe that he would find it possible to get support in Parliament for these proposals to cut the NHS, our police forces and our schools.

“If the chancellor is serious then we cannot possibly allow this to go ahead. It would be unnecessary, wrong and a rejection of the platform on which we all stood. If he were to proceed with these proposals, the chancellor’s position would become untenable.

“This is a blatant attempt to talk down the market and the country. The chancellor risks doing damage to the British economy in his bid to win this political campaign.”

In an ‘illustrative budget’ released by Mr Osbourne and his Labour predecessor Lord Darling. the Remain supporter laid out a number of potential tax rises and spending cuts

They included a 2p rise in the basic rate of income tax and a 3p rise in the higher rate, while spending on police, transport and local government could all take a 5 per cent cut.

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