What does the Budget mean for people here in Stevenage and our villages?
This year's Budget was packed with announcements that will make a real difference to people of all ages across Stevenage and our villages.
From help for households and businesses to investing in our future and putting more power in local hands, the Budget provides us with many different opportunities to fulfil our community's potential. The overall message is clear: breathing space for today, and fresh hope for the future.
Here are some of the measures that will make the biggest difference in our communities.
Help with energy bills now, and making changes to keep them down
Energy bills remain one of the biggest pressures on household budgets. This Budget includes help with costs now, while taking action to make energy cheaper and fairer in the long term.
From January 2027, eligible households in council tax bands A to D in England will receive a £100 payment directly into their bank account. Around 36,000 properties in Stevenage fall within those bands. Extending the cut in VAT on electricity is also expected to reduce the annual price cap by around £50 from April.
We need to tackle the reasons bills are so high. The Government has asked Ofgem to scrap gas standing charges, so households will no longer pay a daily fee simply for being connected. Around 60% of households are expected to pay less as a result, with average savings of about £45 a year.
As well as this, too often the price of electricity is driven up by the wholesale cost of gas, even when it is being generated from renewables at a lower cost. The Government is taking steps to break that link by moving more renewable energy onto fixed-price contracts, protecting households from volatile international gas prices.
The aim is simple: more control over bills today, and a cheaper, more secure energy system for the future.
Support for drivers
For many people in Stevenage and our villages, a car is essential, and fuel costs make a real difference to the weekly budget.
The Budget extends the existing 5p-per-litre fuel duty cut and freeze until 1 July 2027, avoiding the planned increases.
That means the 5p reduction at the pump will stay in place for longer, helping drivers manage their costs at a time when many are already feeling the pressure from higher household bills.
The cost of many electric vehicle charging points is also set to be cut. And there’s help for people who rely on their cars for work, with a permanent uprating of tax-free mileage rates to support around 2 million employees and 1 million self-employed people across the UK.
I know how much these everyday costs matter, and will keep pressing for practical help with the pressures facing local households.
Increases to the Minimum Wage and State Pension
People who work hard should be able to afford a decent standard of living. But when the cost of essentials keeps rising, making ends meet can still be difficult.
From April 2027, the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates will increase by 3.9%, giving millions of workers a pay rise.
This matters across Stevenage and our villages, particularly for people working in sectors such as retail, hospitality and care.
A fair day’s work should mean a fair day’s pay. Raising wages helps workers with everyday costs, while putting more money into the local economy as people spend in our shops, cafés and businesses.
It is one part of the wider goal to make sure economic growth is felt in people’s pay packets and everyday lives.
Your First Home: support for first-time buyers
Our children should be able to buy a home in the community where they grew up, and build their future here in Stevenage and our villages.
Many are already paying rent that costs more than a mortgage would, but saving for a deposit has become the biggest barrier to getting onto the housing ladder. The new Your First Home scheme is designed to help around 70,000 first-time buyers take that step.
Backed by £4.7 billion, the scheme will let eligible buyers purchase a qualifying new-build home with a deposit of just 2.5%, alongside a Government equity loan worth 20% of the purchase price. The loan will be interest-free for the first five years.
On a £300,000 home, that means a deposit of £7,500 rather than £15,000 for a 5% deposit. The Government would provide a £60,000 equity loan, with the rest covered by a mortgage.
The scheme is expected to open for applications in February 2027. It is one step towards giving more young people a fair chance to put down roots close to home.
Bringing back council house building
A secure, affordable home should be within reach for everyone. But decades of housing shortages have left too many people in Stevenage waiting for a home that meets their needs.
The number of council homes in Stevenage has fallen from around 32,000 in the 1980s to fewer than 8,000 today. Years of Right to Buy sales, alongside rules that made it difficult for councils to use the proceeds to replace homes, have contributed to that shortage.
We need to rebuild that supply. The Government has changed Right to Buy discounts and allowed councils to keep all the money from sales to help fund replacement homes. It is also changing the rules so newly built social homes are protected from Right to Buy for 35 years.
The Budget adds £1.5 billion to help deliver around 10,000 more social and affordable homes, with funding prioritised for social rent. Councils will also have more flexibility to use funding and sale proceeds to build.
This will take time, but it gives councils a stronger foundation to build the homes local families need.
Backing our High Streets
Our shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants are at the heart of our communities. They provide local jobs, support other businesses and give people places to meet. But rising costs have put many under real pressure.
The Budget brings further support. From April 2027, around 70,000 more retail, hospitality and leisure businesses across England are expected to qualify for full business rates relief. For eligible businesses still paying rates, bills will be frozen in real terms for two years. Pubs, social clubs and most live music venues will also receive an increased 35% business rates discount.
In Stevenage, around 193 eligible shops, pubs and hospitality businesses are expected to benefit from the rates freeze.
This builds on earlier support for pubs and live music venues, alongside wider plans to bring empty high street buildings back into use, tackle crime affecting businesses and make it easier for small firms to win public contracts and get paid on time.
Whether it is a shop in the town centre or a pub in one of our villages, local businesses deserve the confidence to invest, create jobs and thrive.
Supporting British Industry and High Quality Jobs
Stevenage is home to world-leading businesses in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and technology. They support skilled jobs and help keep Britain at the forefront of innovation. We need to make sure they can continue to invest, grow and create opportunities here.
The Government’s new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs by up to 25% for eligible energy-intensive manufacturers. That will help British businesses compete and make it more attractive to invest in UK industry.
But rebuilding British industry must also mean giving local people the skills to take up the jobs it creates.
The Budget includes £100 million for local apprenticeship services, while the Jobs Guarantee will provide employment pathways for eligible 18 to 24-year-olds claiming Universal Credit.
Connecting young people with employers, quality training and real opportunities is vital. We need to make sure our schools and colleges are linked to the businesses on our doorstep, so more young people can build skilled, well-paid careers close to home.
That is how we strengthen our local economy and give the next generation a fair chance to succeed.
A Budget for Stevenage and our villages
I welcome some really significant steps forward in this Budget. There's lots more besides what I've mentioned already, like tax relief for pensioners on lower incomes, and three Stevenage schools are also among those named for breakfast club funding.
For our local economy, around 193 eligible shops, pubs and hospitality businesses in Stevenage will benefit from a real-terms business rates freeze. A renewed focus on offering a broad range of education opportunities and better links good jobs will help young people get their careers off to a strong start.
And looking ahead, funding for the kinds of social and affordable housing we've lost over the decades can return us to our New Town roots of offering a place where families can build a life for themselves.
While there is always more still to do, my job is to keep making the case for our area, listen to residents and stand up for the interests of Stevenage and our villages in Westminster.
I want to see a stronger local economy, good jobs and a fair chance for people of every generation to build their future here. That means breathing space today, and hope for tomorrow.
