John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@ScotTories MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Hardworking families and businesses need breathing space, not the highest tax burden on record.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

🎈The ballooning welfare bill is putting pressure on families, businesses and our economy.

Today’s Budget was another missed opportunity to get spending under control and ease the pressure on hardworking families and businesses.

With working-age welfare spending forecast to rise by almost £58 billion to £221.5 billion a year by 2031-32, we cannot keep spending more and more on welfare while asking hardworking taxpayers to pay more and more.

Labour needs to get a grip on the rising welfare bill, help more people back into work and bring spending under control so we can cut taxes and get Britain working again.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

This Labour Budget was another missed opportunity to get spending under control and ease the pressure on hardworking families and businesses.

We cannot keep spending more and more on welfare while asking hardworking taxpayers to pay more and more.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Labour needs to get its priorities straight.

Borrowing is too high, welfare spending is too high, and families and businesses are paying far too much in tax.

The Government should be focused on fixing the economy, not reopening the Brexit debate.

We need lower taxes, less borrowing and a stronger economy.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Today is Labour's third Budget, and the first under its new Chancellor. But will it be more tax rises?

Labour promised not to raise taxes, but has already increased them by over £60 billion.

Ahead of the Chancellor's statement, here are my key tests:
🚜Scrap the Family Farm Tax.
⛽Freeze fuel duty, approve Rosebank and scrap the Energy Profits Levy.
🏠Scrap VAT on household energy bills and keep the Triple Lock.
💼Halve National Insurance contributions for workers aged 21–24.

And above all, no more tax rises!

This Chancellor needs to recognise the pressures families, farmers and businesses are facing across the Borders. I'll be watching closely to see whether today's Budget actually delivers.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Early detection of prostate cancer will save lives, but we must do more so the men at the greatest risk aren't left behind.

Yesterday, I led the debate on improving prostate cancer screening, following a petition signed by 101,932 people, including 195 here in the Scottish Borders.

Sir Chris Hoy's diagnosis highlighted the importance of detecting prostate cancer early, yet the government's current approach to screening means that men like Sir Chris, who have no symptoms, may not be offered routine testing at all.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿I asked the Minister what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Government to ensure that access to screening doesn't depend on which side of the border you live. With advances in testing and new evidence emerging, we should be improving early detection to save lives.

Thank you to @PCR_News for their work campaigning on this important issue.👏

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

The council is not being properly consulted before properties in the Borders are being acquired to accommodate asylum seekers on behalf of the UK Government. This is simply not good enough.

I raised this in Parliament yesterday, and the Minister has agreed to an urgent meeting with me and Scottish Borders Council to address these concerns.

Our local services are already under pressure, and the Home Office does not seem to understand that or appreciate the added difficulties of providing essential services in rural and remote areas.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

The Scottish Greens aren't tree-huggers anymore.

Their co-leader Ross Greer now wants Hamas's political wing taken off the terror list.

Hamas was banned in full for a reason: there's no real line between its "political" and military wings.

A dangerous idea. I'll fight it every step of the way.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Antisemitism is a scourge that we must stamp out.

Thank you to @antisemitism for meeting with me today to discuss their work and how we can better challenge this hatred.

I will always stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism.

[SBC @scotborders]

Hawick High Street is closed due to a weather-related issue while services assess a building. It is expected to remain closed until tomorrow morning, or until the issue is resolved.
For the latest updates see https://t.co/6sGDqmujMi
#Hawick

[Alex Burghart @alexburghart]

Jackdaw opened. Because the people of Aberdeen voted for it. Because they voted Conservative.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

📈Inflation has hit 3.5%, piling more pressure on hardworking families.

🧾Household bills are rising.
⛽️Fuel costs are increasing.
🛒The weekly shop is getting more expensive.
🏠And mortgage costs are putting families under even more pressure.

When will the Prime Minister accept that his failure to control borrowing is contributing to higher inflation?

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Labour’s Jobs Tax has made it more expensive for businesses to employ people especially young people, who across the Borders deserve the chance to get their first job and build their future.

Conservatives would halve employers’ National Insurance for 21 to 24-year-olds, making it £1,500 cheaper to employ someone full time on the minimum wage.

The Government should back our plan at the Budget to help young people into work and support local businesses.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

How can Britain be a serious player on the world stage if it takes two and a half years to approve a single gas project?

As @KemiBadenoch said at PMQs today, we have the resources, the expertise and the people.

We now need a Government with the confidence to use them.🇬🇧

The Prime Minister must now end the dithering and delay, and lift the ban on all new oil and gas licences.

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Abattoirs are vital for our farmers, butchers and rural economy. Their closure can mean longer journeys for livestock and fewer options for farmers to get their produce to market. Reduced competition and higher costs can make it even harder for farms to stay in business and can push up food prices.🚜

I’ve signed a joint letter to the Prime Minister urging him to protect our network of local abattoirs, cut unnecessary red tape, review charges and support investment, while maintaining high animal welfare standards.

The UK and Scottish Governments must work together across the border to support these businesses.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

You can read the full letter below.👇

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

✅APPROVED: Jackdaw has finally been given the green light!🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This is great news for North Sea jobs, investment and our energy security. Now let's get Rosebank approved too!

#DrillBabyDrill

[Russell Findlay @RussellFindlay1]

A great victory for Scottish jobs, energy security and common sense👇

https://t.co/YBEoLOGRtD

[John Lamont MP 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @John2Win]

Tonight, I voted against Labour’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill because I do not believe it gives veterans the protections from prosecution they need.

Our veterans took on some of the most difficult and dangerous jobs to keep us safe and do their duty for their country. They deserve our support and I will always stand up for veterans and armed forces.

If you agree, please sign the petition and send Labour a clear message: protect our veterans.👇
https://t.co/I4JsmBFBq7