Rachel Reeves is pretending everything is absolutely fine
This Spring Statement didn’t take account of an inconvenient event: the outbreak of war
BySpring Statement
Was the Chancellor’s Spring Statement dead on arrival?
The OBR’s forecast was prepared before the war in Iran broke out
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How the OBR became the Department for Austerity
Governments should not use economic forecasts as a cover for political choices.
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The Chancellor has taken another big gamble
Rachel Reeves will struggle to avoid raising taxes at this autumn’s Budget.
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Rachel Reeves cannot disguise the pain to come
The Chancellor’s rhetoric on growth has proved overblown.
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PMQs review: Starmer is rattled ahead of the Spring Statement
The Prime Minister was too distracted to fight Badenoch back.
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Rachel Reeves’ fraught balancing act
The Chancellor will now be forced to contemplate tax rises.
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The warfare state needs the welfare state
Labour should argue for defence spending to be ringfenced outside the normal fiscal rules.
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The Tories still have a Liz Truss problem
The response to tomorrow’s Spring Statement will be made under the looming shadow of Truss’s economic crisis.
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The warfare state can rescue Britain
Tomorrow’s Spring Statement should recognise a simple truth: economic and national security are now inextricable.
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“It’s half thought-out”: Childcare sector leaders on Jeremy Hunt’s reforms
Worries persist over whether the Chancellor has pledged enough funding in the Budget to bolster providers.
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Why free childcare isn’t as good as it sounds
Lack of funding for Jeremy Hunt’s pledge could leave children worse off and nurseries out of business.
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NHS leaders are concerned over lack of new funds in the Budget
It is thought unlikely the Chancellor will pledge more funding, and that will lead to parts of the health service…
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What will be in Hunt’s Spring Budget?
To stave off popular outcry about energy bills Jeremy Hunt could extend the energy price cap for a further three…
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Why the Tories could still face an economic nightmare in 2024
Better-than-expected growth this year is, paradoxically, a problem for Rishi Sunak.
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Rishi Sunak ignored the easiest way to help the poorest
The Chancellor’s refusal to raise Universal Credit shows he has returned to his ideological comfort zone.
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“A KitKat is now a luxury”: the looming death of disposable income
Prices are spiralling, limiting the spending choices of Britons across the country to the bare essentials.
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