Guernsey P&R under fire for presenting two budgets

Parkinson warned that simply bringing a budget with the spending cuts would lead to “a flood of amendments”.

“We’re only suggesting under the Option B budget half of what States committees have requested.

“We’re not spending like a drunken sailor.”

P&R has presented a budget which includes an inflationary increase in income tax allowances, lower taxes on a pint at the pub, a new £15m fund to encourage economic growth, £6m for initiatives to encourage States savings and the abolition of mortgage interest relief.

Deputy Aidan Matthews, who has fought to defend mortgage interest relief as previous P&R’s have looked to remove it, said he would be looking to reverse this move to remove it by 2029.

He said: “I think that really the best thing that we should be doing is encouraging people to be able to afford to buy their own homes.”

Alongside the Committee for Housing, P&R said it was working on initiatives to support first-time buyers.

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