Huge £30bn transport boost with £420m for local roads will help Britain’s smooth journey to bright post-Brexit future
BRITAIN has been working hard. The people of this country have put in the hours, knuckled down, and pulled together.
I know for many, the past few years haven’t been easy. But I’m happy to tell Sun on Sunday readers that their hard work is paying off.
Our jobs market has defied many of the naysayers.
Near record numbers of people have a job and unemployment has fallen in every region across the country.
There are more than 3.3million additional people in work since 2010.
While this is a huge achievement, sometimes it’s easy to forget that behind these numbers are thousands of people up and down our country who are now better able to provide for their families.
They can get up every morning knowing they have the security that only a job can bring.
And what’s more, they are being rewarded with a pay rise — this month’s figures show the strongest wage growth in almost a decade.
Contrary to myths peddled by the opposition, it’s people at the bottom of the pay scale who have benefited most.
The lowest earners working full-time have seen the fastest rise in pay thanks to our National Living Wage and the proportion of low-paid jobs is at a record low.
Tomorrow I will deliver my Budget, where I will show how our careful focus on fixing the economy is bearing fruit.
Thanks to the balanced approach we have taken — getting our debt falling, while keeping taxes low — and the hard work of the people of the UK, I will be able to set out how we will be investing in our future.
Much of the talk surrounding Budgets is often technical. Many, many experts and commentators will have their own take on how the economy is doing.
While this is, of course, important, what most ordinary people really care about is how the Budget will improve their day-to-day lives.
And one of the issues which I know Sun on Sunday readers care a lot about is transport. With a thousand more people moving into work every day, it’s important that we help to get them there on time.
Many of you preparing to start the working week tomorrow will know the frustration of having your journey to work ruined by delays caused by poorly maintained roads. Or of having your car or van damaged by potholes.
This isn’t just a bad way to start the day, it’s bad for businesses large and small, and it can be really damaging to the wider economy as well.
It’s estimated that congestion costs UK households more than £30billion every year. That’s why tomorrow I will announce a bumper £30billion investment in our country’s transport network — including a new £28.8billion fund ring-fencing vehicle excise duty raised in England for spending on our roads.
As a former Transport Secretary, I know that these are the arteries that keep our country alive – and they need taking care of. Thirty-two years ago tomorrow, Margaret Thatcher officially opened the final stretch of the M25.
While few would claim to love this motorway, it’s easy to forget what a landmark moment this was for our country’s transport infrastructure. Three decades later, I am committed to honouring that legacy.
And as important as our major roads are, smaller local roads are just as vital to our everyday lives.
That’s why I will also announce tomorrow £420million of immediate cash for councils to maintain and improve local roads — fixing potholes, repairing damaged roads and keeping bridges safe and open.
A further £150million on top of that will help improve local junctions, allowing better access to workplaces, high streets and other community facilities.
This is also part of our commitment to bridging the gap between our regions. Those in rural parts of the country should have the same chances to get on in life and not have poor transport connections limiting their potential.
The funding will help make journeys quicker and easier, while boosting productivity and improving access.
And because I know that not everyone drives, I will also invest in local transport projects which could include new bus, tram and cycling routes.
And I will also look to the future by investing in next-generation methods of transport, which could potentially include self-driving shuttle services.
Not only could this revolutionise our transport network, it will also help us become a global leader developing future technologies.
And finally, as I earlier announced with the Prime Minister, I am happy to confirm we will also be freezing fuel duty, for the ninth year in a row.
This will keep the cost of fuel down for millions of drivers across the UK — saving people around £800million this year alone.
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These measures are only possible due to our careful management of the economy over the past few years — and the hard work of the British people.
This country has a bright future ahead, and — thanks to this vital investment package — the journey there just got a bit smoother.