Teessside Live Reported – (C) Teesside Live – Credit goes to the Reporter Poppy Kennedy
Owners of a Hemlington veterinary practice have met with Treasury ministers ahead of the Autumn Budget. Kibbles Veterinary owners Jo Buller and Richard Buller visited Parliament as guests of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Luke Myer.
As part of the visit, Kibbles Veterinary attended a reception at Number 11 Downing Street with Luke, joining other small business leaders from across the North East to meet Treasury ministers ahead of the Autumn Budget.
Hosted by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the event offered newly established and growing businesses from the region the chance to speak directly with senior Treasury figures about the opportunities and challenges facing SMEs in the North East.
Kibbles opened in December 2024 and will mark its first anniversary this December. The practice has sought to offer a more affordable and accessible approach to vet care, including free consultations, clear pricing, and a supportive environment for pet owners. With costs rising for households across Teesside, affordability remains a significant concern for many families, particularly when it comes to unexpected bills such as veterinary treatment.
Teesside Live previously reported how pets and their owners are suffering from the high costs and the team want to change that. Richard, of Kibbles Veterinary, said: “It was an incredible honour and privilege to have our work at Kibbles recognised by Luke and the wider community. We have been truly overwhelmed by how much we’ve grown in such a short time and this recognition means so much to us .”
Kibbles has continued to grow its client base as it approaches its first year of trading, and local residents have welcomed efforts to provide a more affordable and supportive option for pet care in Hemlington.
MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Luke Myer MP said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome Jo and Richard to Parliament and hear about their first year building Kibbles. They are working hard to make pet care affordable at a time when many families across the North East are feeling the squeeze, and it is vital that voices from Teesside are heard in the rooms where decisions are made .”
The Autumn Budget will be delivered on November 26, 2025. Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “We are a pro-business government, and we know that SMEs are the beating heart of high streets, industrial estates and local economies across the country. That’s why we’re reforming business rates, have secured trade deals with the US, EU and India to boost exports of whisky, gin and other British products, and have seen interest rates cut five times since the election, benefiting businesses in every part of Britain.”
Rachel Reeves promised earlier this week to protect the NHS and improve the cost of living for struggling Brits in a major pre-Budget speech. The Chancellor vowed to “make the choices necessary” as she grapples with a £20billion to £30billion blackhole in the public finances, but refused to rule out tax rises.
Ms Reeves, who will deliver her second Budget on November 26, was asked repeatedly about tax rises, and each time insisted all decisions would be made in the Budget. It came just days after Keir Starmer refused to repeat Labour’s vow to protect working people from increases to income tax, VAT, and national insurance.
Teessside Live Reported – (C) Teesside Live – Credit goes to the Reporter Poppy Kennedy
