A RISE in the living wage, abolishment of stamp duty and the promise to build 300,000 new homes a year were just some of the big take aways from chancellor of the exchequer Phillip Hammond’s budget announcement.

However, with the chancellor overlooking workers in the public sector and many teachers and social care services, not everyone was pleased with the November budget.

Basingstoke’s MP Maria Miller believe the chancellors announcement is one which will benefit the town, in particular the increasing of the living wage.

Mrs Miller said: "This is a good budget for Basingstoke; supporting local families by increasing the National Living Wage by above inflation, cutting income tax by raising the personal allowance, freezing fuel duty for the eighth year and investing to support our NHS.”

“We have thousands of businesses in Basingstoke - they are the life blood of our community. Chancellors announcement provides practical financial help for local businesses by bringing forward the planned Business Rates switch from RPI to CPI to April 2018, worth £2.3 billion.”

Another high point Mrs Miller praised was the promise of more houses being built saying it would help first time buyers in the borough.

She added: “Basingstoke residents often raise with me availability of affordable housing for first time buyers, this announcement will see building of the new homes that our young people need. Setting a target to deliver 300,000 homes per year, reforming planning to unlock land for first time buyers, abolishing stamp duty for over 80 per cent of first time buyers and investing more to take government support for housing up to £44 billion.”

However, leader of the Basingstoke Labour Group, councillor Paul Harvey said the budget shows the Government were out of touch.

Cllr Harvey said: “This is the largest fall in living standard for 60 years and the budget has done nothing to tackle this issue.

“It is not right to continue with austerity, we need to see a real improvement in living standards and this budget shows that the Tories just do not care.

“We need to really focus on changing things, and the hard-working people in our public sector deserve a pay rise.”

Cllr Harvey continued: “We have seen so many businesses leave Basingstoke, where as we should be seeing a solid investment from the Government.”