The Chancellor’s Halloween Budget was more trick than treat. In spite of the promises made to end austerity, schools still face real terms budget cuts, the money he announced for the NHS still won’t solve the mental health crisis and the limited grants being handed to local councils like Redbridge will be swallowed up with cuts he’s already announced.
Perhaps worst of all, the Budget didn’t hand a single penny to community policing, which is dangerously stretched thanks to a billion pounds worth of cuts to the Metropolitan Police – but the Chancellor did manage to find room for big tax cuts for some of the wealthiest people in Britain. Even the much lauded tax on big digital companies amounted to small change for some of the biggest tech giants, much of which will be returned to them in the form of corporation tax cuts.
With Brexit looming, our economy is not in a strong position. I fear we’ll be in for an emergency budget in the Spring, once the true cost of Brexit is known. This week’s Budget shows that Britain can’t afford another economic crisis, which is why I strongly believe that people should be given the final say on the Brexit deal.
You can watch my speech in the debate late last night – sometime before 10pm – below:
The Chancellor’s Halloween Budget was more trick than treat. In spite of the promises made to end austerity, schools still face real terms budget cuts, the money he announced for the NHS still won’t solve the mental health crisis and the limited grants being handed to local councils like Redbridge will be swallowed up with cuts he’s already announced. Perhaps worst of all, the Budget didn’t hand a single penny to community policing, which is dangerously stretched thanks to a billion pounds worth of cuts to the Metropolitan Police – but the Chancellor did manage to find room for big tax cuts for some of the wealthiest people in Britain. Even the much lauded tax on big digital companies amounted to small change for some of the biggest tech giants, much of which will be returned to them in the form of corporation tax cuts. With Brexit looming, our economy is not in a strong position. I fear we’ll be in for an emergency budget in the Spring, once the true cost of Brexit is known. This week’s Budget shows that Britain can’t afford another economic crisis, which is why I strongly believe that people should be given the final say on the Brexit deal. You can watch my speech in the debate late last night - sometime before 10pm - below:
Posted by Wes Streeting MP on Tuesday, 30 October 2018