Video: Prof Michael White, of Nottingham Trent University, says city homebuyers could benefit from the budget.
Thousands of working Nottinghamshire people could be better off thanks to an increase in the Living Wage and tax and National Insurance cuts unveiled in the budget.
About one in four people in Nottingham earn at or around the living Wage – which will rise for the over-25s in April from its current £7.50 an hour to £7.83.
Fuel duty has also been frozen and stamp duty removed for first-time house buyers.
But critics of the Conservative Government criticised Chancellor Phillip Hammond for not increasing spending on policing at time when crime is rising in Notts and across the country.
Labour also said the budget ignored a need to increase spending on social care.
Ian Baxter, chairman of Baxter Freight, on Abbeyfield Road, Lenton, welcomed the budget.
“We warmly welcome the increase in the National Living Wage, which stops companies choosing to pay fair wages to their staff, as Baxter Freight does, from being undercut by competitors that don’t,” he said,
“It is vital that as we grow our economy we do so fairly.”
He added: “We warmly welcome the Chancellor’s decision to continue to freeze fuel duty protecting hard working families and vital British businesses from further unwelcome cost increases.”
Video: Sociology student Polly Tiler is concerned about the impact of Universal Credit.
Labour Nottingham East MP Chris Leslie warned Brexit cast a ‘dark shadow’ over the budget because forecasts for growth have been downgraded.
He tweeted:”Massive downgrade for growth, deficit lingering past 2022, productivity revised down and revenues for vital public services cut by £20bn by 2021.
He added: “What a waste! Brexit soaks up £1.5bn of extra spending in 2019 (when NHS only gets £1bn more). Sadly that’s just the start of it. If ever there’s an example of throwing good money after bad, there it is.”
But Mansfield’s Labour MP Ben Bradley insisted the announcements would improve household budgets.
He said: “This budget seeks to ensure that working people get to keep more of their hard-earned cash. Higher wages, reducing income tax, and freezing fuel duty will all help people with the cost of living.
“The NHS has seen a significant uplift, and measures to boost new housing are very welcome.”
