The official figures are in: Britain’s economy is now larger than it was before the financial crash hit in 2008. There is still a way to go to get us where we need to be, with many British families still feeling the squeeze – but this is good news. It shows the rescue is working.
This is why the Liberal Democrats came into coalition in the first place, to provide the strong and stable government Britain needed to get back on its feet again. Four years on and Britain is going from strength to strength.
According to the latest IMF estimates, the UK will be the fastest growing economy in the G7 in 2014. We have more people in work than ever before, with 2 million more people working in the private sector than in 2010. The deficit is also down by a third: we’re borrowing around £3,000 less per family.
None of this would have been possible without the hard work and sacrifices of millions of families. Across the country, there are countless stories of workers in the private and public sector accepting pay cuts or pay freezes to prevent redundancies, keep businesses afloat and maintain essential public services.
In government, the Liberal Democrats have focused on doing everything we can to help Britain’s families weather this storm. The crucial question that every parent asks when weighing up whether to work or take on extra hours is: how much of my wages will I keep after I've paid for costs like tax, childcare, travel and so on?
To make that decision easier, we've secured a £800 tax cut for millions of ordinary people by raising the point at which you pay income tax to £10,000 - with a further increase to £10,500 next April.
The credibility we've gained by sticking to Britain’s economic plan has helped keep interest rates historically low, saving families money on their mortgage bills.
From this September, every family with young children will benefit from our plan to provide free school meals to pupils in reception classes, year one and year two – ensuring they get a healthy lunch and saving you around £400 for your household budget every year.
Also, if you’re a working parent with children under 12, we’re helping with childcare – from autumn next year, Government will contribute 20% of your childcare costs up to £10,000 a year. This covers parents working full-time and part-time and, for the first time ever, those mums and dads who run their own businesses. This will provide the equivalent of £2,000 per child, per year for every working family, except those on extremely high wages.
We've increased the hours of funded early-education available to every family with a 3 and 4-year-old to 15 hours a week, as well as 2-year-olds from poorer families.
We’re also making it easier for you to organise your childcare support in a way that works best for your family. From April next year, we’re introducing our new shared parental leave arrangements, enabling new parents to carve up the leave they’re entitled to with greater freedom and flexibility. We've already extended the right to request flexible working to everyone, to help boost that army of family members and friends you call on to help with childcare.
I want to help ensure that Britain’s children, whatever their family circumstances or background, get the best possible start in life. So, building on the success of our £2.5 billion Pupil Premium, next year, we’re giving state-funded early years providers an additional £300 to spend on every 3 and 4 year-old from poorer families to support their development further. This is one of the best possible investments we can make in our country’s future.
Together, we’re getting our economy back on track. There’s still a lot to do. But, as Britain moves from rescue to renewal, I'm determined to ensure that every single person has the opportunities and support they need to get on and build the life they want.