Spending Review is a Missed Opportunity for Newbury

The Government had the chance to deliver real change in this week’s Spending Review. Instead, they’ve missed the mark, again. People in Newbury were crying out for a break from the years of Conservative neglect. Sadly, they’ve been handed more of the same.

From our crumbling hospital to stretched schools, from struggling farmers to families battling the cost-of-living crisis, the challenges in our community are clear – but the Chancellor’s plans simply don’t meet the moment.

The Royal Berkshire Hospital is Still Waiting

The Government’s failure to invest in a new Royal Berkshire Hospital is bitterly disappointing. I’ve been consistently calling for a new, fit-for-purpose hospital to serve people across Newbury and West Berkshire. Yet this Spending Review does nothing to address the £13.8 billion NHS maintenance backlog or bring forward the long-overdue upgrades our hospital desperately needs.

Without action on social care, hospitals like ours will remain gridlocked. Care beds stay blocked, patients wait longer, and families continue to suffer.

Social Care Left in Crisis

The Chancellor talked a big game, but meaningful social care reform has once again been kicked years down the road. That’s just not good enough. People in our community are already going without the care they need, and exhausted carers continue to be taken for granted.

The Government needs to get a grip and deliver proper reform – not empty promises that drag on for another decade.

Schools Stretched to Breaking Point

Schools across West Berkshire are already under huge pressure, with growing class sizes and budgets that simply aren’t keeping up with the real costs they face. This Spending Review fails to give headteachers the long-term funding certainty they need to properly plan for the future.Local schools need real investment to recruit and retain teachers, support pupils with special educational needs, and maintain safe, high-quality facilities. Right now, schools are being asked to do more with less – and that’s not fair on our children or the incredible staff working so hard to support them.

Farming and Rural Communities Have Been Ignored Again

Our farmers are the backbone of our local economy, but instead of backing them, the Government is slashing the nature-friendly farming budget. These cuts will hit family farms in West Berkshire hard and put our environment and food security at risk.

I’ll keep fighting for the fair funding and support our rural communities deserve.

Too Little, Too Late for Affordable Housing

While I welcome the headline funding for affordable homes, the Government still isn’t focused on what our community truly needs: social housing. People in Newbury and across West Berkshire are desperate for homes they can genuinely afford, not more developer-led schemes that fail to deliver.

The Liberal Democrats would build 150,000 social homes a year – something this Government isn’t even close to matching.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This Spending Review could have marked a fresh start. Instead, it shows this Government isn’t serious about fixing the NHS, supporting families, or investing in our future.

I will keep holding them to account and pushing for the change people in Newbury and West Berkshire deserve.