Budget Resolutions

Laura Kyrke-Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

Much of the discussion on the Budget has focused on the national level, and rightly so, but for my constituents the true test is whether life in Aylesbury and the villages feels any different—whether decisions in the Budget translate into thriving local businesses, stronger communities and more confidence in our futures. I was out knocking on doors at the weekend, and one lady said to me, “This town is miserable now, isn’t it?”, which always pains me to hear. She said that when she wakes up on a Saturday, she does not head into Aylesbury; instead, she will go over to Tring or Wendover, where she can park cheaply and easily, and find all the shops and cafés she needs. In some ways, she has a point. Over the last decade or two, we have lost many of the shops, pubs and cafés that we used to have, but I know that our town has huge strengths and potential, and this Labour Government’s Budget helps us to start to turn a corner.

The fact is that our towns do not thrive by accident. They rely on entrepreneurs who are prepared to take risks, family businesses that have served their communities for generations, and independent retailers that give our town centres their character and identity. These are not simply economic actors; often the same people are sponsoring local sports clubs and community events—I think, for example, of the long partnership between Xpress Labels and Aylesbury United—and they help young people get into work. If we are serious about the future of our high streets, we have to back those businesses to succeed. We have to do that nationally and locally, as Aylesbury town council does very well.

I have spoken to many businesses that tell me that business rates remain one of their biggest cost pressures, and the brilliant organisation Buckinghamshire Business First has also raised that issue with me. I welcome the decision to expand small business rates relief and take thousands more local firms out of business rates altogether. Across Buckinghamshire, 2,000 businesses will now be paying no business rates at all. That makes a real difference to small businesses that are trying to invest and take on staff. I also welcome the real-terms freeze in business rates for the next two years for all our retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. I know that the additional 20% relief for pubs, social clubs and most live music venues will be welcomed by many constituents who have written to me about these matters.

I welcome the focus in the Budget on support for entrepreneurs and early start-ups. We should be making it easier for people with a business idea to take that first step, which is why the decision to triple the tax-free trading allowance from £1,000 to £3,000 is important. Whether someone is testing a new business idea, turning a hobby into a source of income, or exploring self-employment for the first time, that measure helps to remove barriers and encourages enterprise. I am pleased to see the introduction of the young entrepreneurs allowance, to help young people trying to get into work. I also celebrate further support for female entrepreneurs in the Budget through the new scale-up programme for female founders, and the additional backing from the British Business Bank. We have many brilliant entrepreneurial women in Aylesbury—I think, for example, of Carys Dorritt at The Polka, a digital marketing agency—and we should absolutely be on their side.

Helping our businesses to flourish is just one part of the transformation that I want to see in our town centre and on our village high streets. From creating more spaces for young people to improving our green spaces, and from improving public transport to sorting out parking, there is much more to do, but backing businesses that are the beating heart of our towns and villages is a great place to start.

If anyone doubts that change is possible, they should take a walk along the High Street opposite Vale Park. For eight years, residents have been campaigning to remove the ugly and dangerous scaffolding that blocked the pavement on the main route into town, and I have been pleased to support them—and finally, last week, we won! You may ask, Madam Deputy Speaker, “What’s the deal with a pile of scaffolding at this late stage in the debate?” Well, what was supposed to be a temporary fix became, over eight years, a sign of how little Buckinghamshire council seemed to care about our town. But it has gone now; we have proved that we can start to change things, and I am hopeful about what is next.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I call the final Back Bencher, Dave Robertson.