Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Founder and Director of the Dual the A1 Campaign and the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Berwick has strongly welcomed announcements made today in the Autumn Statement in which the Chancellor, George Osborne emphasised his commitment to creating a “Northern Powerhouse”.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan said “when I met with the Chancellor in October to present the Dual the A1 petition, he spoke to me about his personal commitment to address disparities between different parts of the country and bridge the gap between the north and the south, today he has been true to his word”.
As well as the £290 million investment to start dualling the A1, confirmed by the Prime Minister on Monday, Anne-Marie Trevelyan welcomed measures announced which included student funding for the first time for post graduate studies, 100% business rate relief for small businesses and scrapping airport passenger duty for under 12s from May and under 16s from the following year. Anne-Marie Trevelyan revealed that these are all measures which she has personally lobbied the Chancellor for in recent months following discussions with local residents and businesses.
“I know that people in this area of the Country, who have long felt neglected and cut off, will welcome the fact that the Chancellor has put the North of England at the heart of his Autumn statement and has listened to the concerns and aspirations of local people which I have spoken to him about on their behalf.”
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who is a chartered accountant and runs a small business also praised the “fiscal responsibility” of the Chancellor; “today's measures, including the huge infrastructure investment have only been possible because we have reduced public sector spending and are freeing up growth by backing private business expansion and jobs creation”.