The Treasury should not simply accept the growth figures given by the OBR, but seek to raise them.
For councils – unlike others in the public sector – austerity has been real. It is ending. But planning powers are being diminished.
In sum, Hammond said: vote for May’s Deal – or the economy gets it. But there’s more than one way of dicing the next election result.
The despondent faces of grown-up people on the Labour benches suggested they know his measures will be very hard to oppose.
“Now we have reached a defining moment on this, long, hard journey. Opening a new chapter in our country’s economic history.”
The Shadow Chancellor claims that Labour would not just to halt further spending restraint, but try to undo the work of the previous government.
“Because of that I don’t think we get the right decisions out of [the Treasury], and it now needs to fundamentally reform.”
Targeted tax breaks on investment create jobs and pay dividends for the public purse. The long-term interests of our public services are not served by cutting them.
The Chancellor’s recent claims of a coming “Deal Dividend” sent the wrong message at the wrong time – and showed up a deep Treasury malaise.
In the final article of our mini-series, the Onward Director says that there must also be a new strategy to help boost Britain’s productivity rate.
In the second article of our mini-series, the Harlow MP calls for a relentless focus on the cost of living, a skills-based economy, social injustices and affordable housing.
In the first article of a new mini-series, the economist urges the Chancellor to deploy the savings and revenues secured by leaving the EU.
During this Budget run-up, many of those I met raised business rates as a killer, plus council tax, the apprenticeship levy, parking charges and corporation tax, too.
“Austerity” has been blurred and misused as a term. If everyone takes its end as a promise of whatever they fancy, it will soon get costly and risky.
At the moment, we are treading water and appear to be relying on popular support for Brexit, and the threat of Corbyn, to keep us in office.