Philip Hammond just made the same bold claim that Theresa May had made previously; right during his budget speech. The problem is it’s simply not true.
Budget b*llocks?
Right at the start of his Autumn Budget 2018, the chancellor said:
the era of austerity is finally coming to an end.
As the Mirror reported, May made the same claim during her Conservative Party conference speech, saying:
austerity is over
Austerity over: is it?
But surprise, surprise – this just isn’t true. Because:
- Esther McVey has reportedly admitted millions of families could lose £200 a month on Universal Credit.
- The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says there are still more welfare cuts to come.
- Philip Hammond will reportedly be cutting £1.3bn from local councils’ grant funding. This could leave a £3.9bn funding black hole.
All this is without the benefits freeze and education budgets having previously been cut in real terms. And don’t mention the NHS.
As opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn responded:
"Austerity is not over," says Jeremy Corbyn #Budget2018https://t.co/qPn4EQvq0H pic.twitter.com/JPRqOcPZbv
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 29, 2018
Austerity over, Mr Hammond? It doesn’t seem that way to us.
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Featured image via Steve Topple – YouTube
