OPPOSITION to the current government, which unveiled its latest budget today, say it doesn't go far enough to tackle the issues local people face.

The Braintree and Witham Labour Party has issued its response to the government's new budget.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak today revealed his plans to give the UK economy a boost after a tough one and a half years brought on by the pandemic.

The chancellor told MPs "today’s Budget does begin the work of preparing for a new economy post-Covid."

The new budget included changes to the universal credit 'tax', alcohol duties, fuel duties, business rates, NHS spending and schools funding to name a few.

But the Braintree and Witham Labour Party has claimed the "budget doesn’t go anywhere near far enough" to tackle the issues that the people of Braintree and Witham are facing.

They claim the changes made by the Chancellor will only make the cost-of-living crisis worse with residents are already being hit with rising energy prices, rising fuel prices and extra taxes.

In a statement, a spokesman for the group said: " The rise in the minimum wage is welcome but people will be left with less money in their pockets by the end of the month.

"The residents of Braintree and Witham will have to spend over £70 to fill up the average size family car at the pumps. There is very little in this budget to help working people.

"The Government has chosen, rightly, to remove the Pay Freeze on public sector workers.

"Labour has argued that this should never have been introduced in the first place. The public sector workers were some of the people who keep this country running during the Covid-19 crisis.

"Doctors, Nurses, Teachers and all other public sector staff will see no immediate change to their pay packets and will have to wait for their own settlements which will take months.

"Inflation is also outstripping any rises that people may see in their wages in the future.

The group also hit out at the government for not using the buidget as a chance to address growing fears over the current climate crisis with the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow only a few days away.

They added, using one of the Prime Minister's 2019 election slogans, that "instead of tackling this issue head-on, he has chosen to dither and delay."

The spokesman added: "This budget falls woefully short in tackling the issues facing residents in Braintree and Witham.

"Instead of rewarding those who keep our country going, through the Covid-19 crisis, they have been told to wait.

"Many people will be facing tough choices this winter and don’t have the luxury of waiting.

"The Chancellor could have helped these people in this budget, instead, he has chosen not to."