Redcar MP: Nothing in budget for Teesside

"There is nothing for Redcar, or Teesside.

I wanted to finally see action today from the Chancellor to support manufacturing and industry and deliver more skilled jobs but there was nothing.

There were generous cuts to business rates for small businesses and stamp duty on commercial properties but the cost will fall on local government whose budgets have already been decimated, so our local services will be cut even further.

The tax cuts for North Sea oil and gas also come too late to stem the tide of declining profits and lost jobs.

There were some flashy infrastructure announcements such as HS3 and northern motorway upgrades. Yet none of this came north of Leeds, and once again the Northern Powerhouse is exposed as an empty, meaningless slogan.

As the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said today, the Chancellor has to stop just putting a high-vis jacket and helmet on and actually start delivering on the infrastructure we need.

The Chancellor promised upgrades to the A66 and the A19 but warm words alone will not deliver these improved transport links."