The Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire has given her support to the Chancellor by welcoming last Wednesday’s UK Budget, which saw an increase in taxes of up to £26 billion.

Labour MP, Catherine Fookes, described Rachel Reeves’ policy outline to the House as a “budget with fairness at its heart,” and highlighted several major wins for families, workers, and businesses across the county.

One of the major announcements made in Parliament last week is the removal of the two-child benefit cap, which was introduced by the Conservatives, which Ms Fookes said would make a transformative difference to families.

"This is why I came into politics,” she said.

“To ensure fairness and that those who are the most vulnerable in society get the support they need to thrive."

While data suggests removing the cap could benefit around 1,200 children in Monmouthshire, and nationally lifting 450,000 children out of poverty, its impact in the county could be less significant than in other authority areas.

A study published in November by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation revealed the county was the least deprived place in the whole of Wales with no neighbourhoods ranked as ‘highly deprived’.

Further to that, the average wage for a male in Monmouthshire is currently £44,600 for a man and close to £40,000 for a woman. Under current forecasts by the OBR, the average male worker in the county would be paying £2,104 more income tax by 2031 due to the extended freeze of income tax thresholds.

The Reform UK Senedd Member for South Wales East, Laura Anne Jones MS, said people in Monmouthshire were being left behind.

She expressed disappointment that the UK Budget failed to include further support for households and businesses severely affected by flooding, and that it “offered little reassurance for communities that urgently need improved flood resilience.”

“Reform will support Welsh communities every day of the year, rather than only when an election approaches,” she said.

“The Senedd election will be a clear choice between Plaid, who have backed disastrous Labour policies for decades and who argue for significant tax rises, or Reform, who are the party offering genuine change and hope for communities that have been ignored for too long.”

There was some relief announced, as households could save around £150 through the removal of certain levies from energy bills, and the minimum wage for 18–20-year-olds will rise to £10.85 while the National Living Wage increases to £12.71.

The state pension will also rise by 4.8%, maintaining the commitment to the triple lock.

The creation of the South Wales AI Growth Zone is also estimated to bring more than 5,000 new jobs to the area over the next decade.

This includes the £10 million investment to support highly skilled jobs in the semiconductor cluster, a move Ms Fookes says will benefit businesses along the tech corridor between Magor and Caldicot.

Monmouthshire will also get £1.5 million allocated through the Pride in Place scheme, funding efforts to revive high streets and community spaces across the county.