Please see below an statement from Catherine McKinnell, Member of Parliament for Newcastle North and Shadow Economic Secretary following today’s Autumn Statement.

“For all George Osborne’s complacent boasts, for most families in Newcastle and the region there’s still no recovery at all after three damaging years of flatlining.

“And with unemployment still highest in the North East, action is required now to tackle youth unemployment, not in 16 months’ time.

“What we needed today was decisive action to get more homes built, expand apprenticeships and back small firms by cutting, not increasing business rates – so that North East firms can drive the regional recovery forward and get people back in to work.

‘We also needed measures to tackle the cost of living crisis now – but with energy bills and business rates going up this winter, while prices continue to rise faster than wages, the half-measures announced today show the Chancellor remains completely out of touch.”