A COUNTY MP has welcomed the Chancellor's budget announcement.

Harriett Baldwin, representing West Worcestershire, said Rishi Sunak's budget will help the economy build and recover from the pandemic.

She said: "There are extremely welcome measures to help working people including an increase in the national living wage, pay rises for public sector workers and extra help for lower paid workers.

"A range of duties from alcohol to travel have been simplified and I was particularly pleased to see extra help for small cider producers.

"This is something that I have been lobbying a succession of chancellors about for several years and I know it will be welcomed by local producers.

"Businesses will also benefit from new measures, including a 50 per cent cut in business rates next year for most retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.

"There’s also business rate relief to encourage green technology ventures and a doubling of creative industry relief for theatres, orchestras museums and galleries.

"As someone who is concerned about the country’s worrying levels of debt to pay for the cost of the pandemic, I am heartened by the Chancellor’s commitment to work towards balancing our books as quickly as possible.

"This Budget will make a real difference to people in West Worcestershire, helping working families with the cost of living, supporting businesses with their recovery, and investing in our public services so that everyone gets the world-class hospitals, schools, and police services they deserve."

Among the key takeaways from the budget are a reduction in tax duty on some alcoholic drinks.

The Chancellor announced proposals for a new “small producer relief” to include small cidermakers and other producers making alcoholic drinks of less than 8.5% alcohol by volume (ABV).

In relation to sparkling wines, Mr Sunak said: “I’m going to end the irrational duty premium of 28% that they currently pay. Sparkling wines – wherever they are produced – will now pay the same duty as still wines of equivalent strength.”

Mr Sunak said the planned increase in duty on spirits, wine, cider and beer will be cancelled from midnight tonight, a tax cut worth £3bn.