Liberal Democrats and the Autumn Statement

By now you may have read the final Autumn Statement and what it means for Britain. This Statement is packed full of Lib Dem policies that give everyone the opportunity to get on in life.

The top four announcements in the budget:

£150 million for mental healthcare

The money will be spread over five years and will go towards transforming the support provided to people with eating disorders.

Help for low and middle earners

Danny Alexander has increased the tax-free Personal Allowance by another £100, giving basic rate taxpayers a tax cut of £120. This means we've now cut taxes for millions of people by £820.

Stamp duty cuts

Stamp duty has been cut for the majority of homebuyers and risen on the most expensive houses. 98% of buyers will pay the same amount of stamp duty or less. Stamp duty on the average priced home will fall by £4,500 while the sale of a £5 million house will cost £163,750 more.

More apprencticeships

Employers will not have to pay National Insurance Contributions for apprentices aged under 25 on earnings up to the upper earnings limit. This substantially brings down the cost of hiring apprentices and encourages businesses to hire even more.

We can only afford these policies because of the work we've done in Government to keep costs down and get the economy back on track. Without us the Conservatives would have made the working age poor bear the brunt of spending cuts and would not have asked the richest to pay a penny more.

P.S. Here are the rest of our announcements:

• Vince Cable's Business Bank will be boosted by an extra £400 million.
• We're doubling the Small Business Rate Relief to April 2016.
• Giving retail properties on the high street a £1,500 discount.
• Postgraduate loans for those under 30.
• An extra £1 billion for a second road of local growth deals.
• A new garden city at Bicester, more affordable housing investments, and a trial of a radical new way to build homes in Northstowe.