Labour’s Budget is a hammer blow to Crawley, putting pressure on hardworking families, local businesses, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods rely on Gatwick Airport. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that Labour will impose the highest tax burden in Britain’s history, dragging nearly two million more people into higher tax bands through stealth tax rises and frozen thresholds. For Crawley’s shift workers, tradespeople, and commuters, this means less money in their pockets at a time when household budgets across Bewbush, Broadfield, Pound Hill, Maidenbower and Three Bridges are already under strain.
Labour’s decision to introduce a new mileage tax on electric and hybrid cars will hit Crawley residents who rely on their vehicles for early-morning and late-night airport shifts. That’s on top of rising borrowing costs, now among the highest in the G7 which risk pushing up mortgages and rents for families across the town. The OBR also highlights that Labour’s approach weakens Britain’s economic outlook, with lower productivity, weaker business investment, and rising debt. At a time when Crawley needs strong, stable growth to protect and expand jobs at Gatwick, Labour has delivered the opposite: higher taxes, weaker economic foundations, and a Budget with no plan for supporting the local economy that underpins our town.
Commenting, Cllr Zack Ali said:
"Crawley deserves a government that understands this town, backs this town, and supports the jobs and families that make this town thrive. Gatwick is the lifeblood of our local economy but Labour’s Budget threatens growth, piles on taxes and makes life harder for the workers who keep Crawley moving. This Budget isn’t just bad for Britain; it’s bad for Crawley.”
