Politicians on all sides claim victory over Chancellor's tax credits cut U-turn

But one district MP - Shipley's Philip Davies - has expressed disappointment at the change of heart, saying the cutback would have been "a sensible thing to do".

Chancellor George Osborne today used his Spending Review and Autumn Statement to announce that the Government would no longer be cutting tax credits for low-earners as originally planned.

The move had met resistance in the House of Lords.

Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, welcomed the climbdown as a Labour victory, saying: "If you were to ever see a set of skid marks on a big U-turn, there you have it.

"There are U-turns that go down in history, and this is one of them."

Keighley Conservative MP, Kris Hopkins, also backed the Government's change of heart, saying: "I am proud to a member of a listening Government and, over recent weeks, I have received a great many representations from Keighley and Ilkley residents with understandable worries about changes to tax credits.

"I am delighted that their concerns have been heeded by the Chancellor and these changes will not now go ahead."

But Mr Davies, an often-rebellious Conservative backbencher, said he had supported Mr Osborne's original plans to cut tax credits.

He said the Government could not afford to "subsidise" people's wages.

He said: "We have got to move people away from tax credits, so I supported what George Osborne was trying to do.

"But he was faced with a political reality so he seems to have tried to make a virtue out of a difficult situation for him."

The Government's spending review also included a host of other announcements, including: The protection of the police budget, despite fears it would be cut; A reduction in public health spending; An option for councils to add a two per cent precept on to council tax bills to fund adult social care; An extra £6bn for the NHS next year; An increase to the basic state pension of £3.35 a week; £150 million to help make Oyster-style ticketing a reality across the whole of the north; The removal of the right to get cash compensation for minor whiplash claims, bringing down car insurance premiums, and A cap on housing benefit for new social tenants.

Ms Shah said she welcomed the protection of Lottery funding, which were feared to be facing cuts.

She said she saw this as a personal victory, after leading a debate against the move in Parliament on Tuesday.

Mr Davies said he remains "frustrated" that the Government continues to protect its overseas aid budget.

Overseas aid is one area of Government spending, along with the NHS and education, that is protected from departmental cuts.

But Mr Davies said he was "absolutely delighted" that the police budget was not being cut as had been feared.

He said: "That is something I have been banging on about for ages. That is a relief."

Mr Davies said he was also pleased the adult education and further education budgets were being protected.

And Mr Hopkins praised Mr Osborne for a "very responsible" Autumn Statement, saying: "Unlike his Labour predecessors who frittered our money away and left our nation’s finances in tatters, George Osborne has made the tough choices which has enabled our long-term economic plan to reap dividends for hard-working people."

Meanwhile, at City Hall, senior councillors were digesting the announcements and how they would affect Council budgets.

Councillor David Green, leader of Labour-controlled Bradford Council, said it was bad news for local authorities.

He said: "The bottom line is, local government is going to face even further cuts."

Cllr Green said the council would be asking the public about whether they would support a two per cent social care levy on council tax bills, as part of its public consultation into its next budget.

But he was dismissive of the difference it would make to the impending crisis in social care, saying it wouldn't even compensate them for the cuts they had made to social care in the past five years.

He said: "It's a good sound bite for the Chancellor but it's just not something that is going to deal with the fundamental funding problem for social care in Bradford, or anywhere else."

The leader of the Council's Conservative group, Councillor Simon Cooke, said it would be interesting to see what the public made of the idea to add a social care levy to council tax bills.

He said people often did not want to see their council tax bills going up, but might feel differently if it was being "ring-fenced for little old ladies or disabled people".

Cllr Cooke said it appeared to be good news for health services too, although the detail needed examining.

Bradford Council's Liberal Democrat group leader, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, said she too was keen to examine the proposals for a social care levy.

And she welcomed the climb-down on tax credits, praising "the Lib Dems on the House of Lords" who had fought the move.

She added: "Clearly, situations in other parts of the world have forced the Treasury to think again on cuts to the police services."

BUSINESS

Business leaders are weighing up the potential impact of the Chancellor's measures but are hopeful it will boost the local economy.

Sandy Needham, chief executive of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, which represents about 1,200 businesses, hoped the apprenticeship levy on company payrolls would boost the number of badly-needed engineering apprentices.  She said: "It looks as though the levy will push up costs for larger companies committed to training, such as Yorkshire Building Society, Morrisons and Yorkshire Water in this area.  "It's important that we create programmes to encourage the kind of`apprentices that companies need and want and not just vocational training for training's sake.  "We should also be motivating head teachers and schools to enthuse pupils about skilled apprenticeships."

Mrs Needham said it was important that the new £400 million Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund should boost transport and infrastructure investment to levels nearer to London and the South.

The Chancellor told MPs that the Government remains committed to the Northern Powerhouse, saying that transport spending would increase by 50 per cent to £61 billion, paving the way for construction of the HS2 link and electrifying railway lines, including the Trans-Pennine route.

Andy Tuscher, regional director of manufacturers’ body EEF, said: “The Chancellor’s enthusiasm for an industrial strategy for Britain is hugely welcome, as is his promise to continue to support Catapult centres, the successful incubators of new business ideas and product development.

"By moving to protect science and research spending, he will give industry confidence and encourage many innovative companies to push ahead with the next generation of business ideas."

Dave Forrester, of TaxAssist Accountants in Keighley, said: "The Autumn Statement said little of real significance to small businesses. They are already facing huge challenges from new rules on pensions, dividends and the living wage, so will be grateful that there were no more bombshells.  "Devolving control of business rates to some major cities does not answer the need to fundamentally reform this outdated charge which is a huge burden to many local business owners.”

HEALTH

Local health bosses have welcomed a boost to NHS budgets, but say they remain worried that public health funding is being slashed.

Chancellor George Osborne announced the national NHS budget would increase from £101bn today to £120bn by 2020/21.

But funding for public health departments will be cut, with the Government considering a move which would see councils having to fund their own public health departments using business rate cash.

A spokesman for the three local NHS clinical commissioning groups, which run GP surgeries and commission other health services, said: "We are pleased with the Government’s announcement of an increase in NHS funding for frontline services.

"The NHS is facing significant challenges as the demand for services increases, so the cash injection next year is welcome.  "However, the reduction in public health funding is worrying and we will need to work closely with our local authorities to make sure that local people continue to be supported to improve their health and wellbeing."

Councillor David Green, leader of Labour-led Bradford Council, and the chairman of the district's Health and Wellbeing Board, said: "Any cuts are a false economy which will damage the whole health provision in the district.  "We’ve already been hit harder than other more prosperous councils due to the recent £2.6m in-year public health cuts and further cuts should be balanced on the basis of need and plans to address health inequalities.

“Bradford is being asked to cover these cuts from changes to business rates.  "As we benefit from the current system, what we are being asked to do is to pay for cuts with another cut and something will have to give."

MUSEUM

Bradford'S National Media Museum could be in line for a funding boost.

Chancellor George Osborne said he was increasing the cash that was going to national museums and galleries.

He said: "We’ll keep free museum entry and look at a new tax credit to support their exhibitions."

The National Media Museum's parent group said it was "delighted" by the announcement.

Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum Group, said: "Today’s announcements, alongside our prudent financial planning and entrepreneurial approach, put the Science Museum Group in a strong position to press ahead with ambitious plans at each of our museums and to do even more to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers."

Bradford Council leader David Green also welcomed the investment.

He said: "I hope that the Science Museum Group will make sure that we in Bradford receive our fair share so that we can ensure the National Media Museum can put on the sort of exhibitions and and shows that I know they want to."

POLICE

The chief of the 'policeman's union' in West Yorkshire welcomed the Government's "U-turn" on cutting the policing budget and claimed the tragic events in Paris played a part.  Nick Smart, chairman of West Yorkshire Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said: "We are really pleased that there are no cuts to policing budgets, because any cuts would have massively impaired our ability to deliver a quality service.

"We see it as a massive climbdown. I think what happened in Paris has had a huge effect on the Government's thinking because they will have realised it could happen anywhere in Europe and anywhere in the UK and if they were to cut policing now, at a time of that sort of threat, it could have repercussions.

"Our best work is done gathering intelligence in community relationships. If the budget had been cut, those community relationships would have suffered drastically and that intelligence would have dried up. I think they have realised that."

Mr Smart said damage had already been done by cuts of 20 per cent over the last five years.

But he added: "This budget enables us to maintain the service level we have got at the moment - which was at breaking point. We are not going to get into the situation where we would have seen severe limitations on what we could do."

The West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “I have campaigned tirelessly for the Government to sit up and take notice about what cuts of between 25 per cent and 40 per cent would have meant for community safety and neighbourhood policing.

“I welcome today’s announcement but it will take time to assess the full devil of the detail of the CSR.

“What I do know is that West Yorkshire Police has already had to face significant cuts – and the organisation has reduced from one with over 10,000 officers and staff in 2010 to one with fewer than 8,000 officers and staff now.

“It is also important to remember that keeping our communities safer and feeling safer is done in partnership with other organisations. Many of those have seen their budgets cut too and will see them reduce further after today’s CSR.”

West Yorkshire Police's Temporary Chief Constable Dee Collins also welcomed the news and said: “We will continue to work hard to keep our communities safe.

“Despite today’s announcement, however, we must still find £5.8m by 2017 and deliver the substantial savings which we have already identified.

“There is still some detail which we need to understand, particularly in terms of funding central projects and we will be considering this in more depth over the coming days."