The Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton has branded today's Autumn budget a 'facade' for stealthy tax rises.' Responding to the Conservatives’ Autumn Statement, Richard Foord MP said: “This new Autumn Statement is nothing short of a facade. Behind the flashy veneer is a wave of stealth tax rises that will leave millions paying to clean up Conservative chaos.

“The Statement means everyone will see their energy bills go up yet again in April by another £500, wiping out the increase to pensions, benefits, and wages, and will mean those in rented accommodation still see their rent rise by hundreds of pounds.

“Local Councils have also been pleading with the Chancellor for support, and yet all they got today was a dismissive ‘over to you’, with rule changes that mean they’ll have little choice but to raise Council Tax rise at a time when many can least afford it.

“This simply isn’t good enough. We need a fair deal, including support for people unable to afford skyrocketing mortgage bills and rents, a detailed plan to tackle the huge NHS backlog, and better funding for local public services. “Instead of hammering people across Devon with years of pain and cuts, the Government should be reversing their tax cuts for big banks and introducing a proper windfall tax on the oil and gas giants – to make them pay their fair share.”