Robert Colvile, Director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said:
“Today’s Budget’s was billed as representing an end to austerity – and the Chancellor certainly had plenty of unexpected goodies in his sack.
“It is significant that the Chancellor recognised that the cost of living is now a tax issue. Over the summer the CPS published polling and made the case strongly that the number one issue for voters was help with the cost of living. The freeze on fuel duty and the raising of the personal allowance – a policy originally proposed by the CPS in 2001 – will also help with this. And we welcome the additional support via Universal Credit for those moving from welfare into work – a topic we will be publishing more on shortly.
“However, it is clear that this was ultimately not a Brexit Budget, but an NHS Budget. The overwhelming majority of the extra spending proposed will go towards meeting the pledge to increase health spending. That the Chancellor has managed to do this without increasing personal taxes is impressive, although it comes at the price of ensuring that we will remain in deficit rather than surplus – admittedly a far, far more manageable one than under Labour’s plans for the economy.”
ENDS
For further information, or to book Centre for Policy Studies spokesmen, please contact the Centre for Policy Studies Press Office on 07876 161196 or email [email protected].
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Centre for Policy Studies is one of Britain’s leading think tanks, and the home of a new generation of conservative thinking. Its mission is to widen enterprise, ownership and prosperity. It will shortly be announcing a series of major policy initiatives in the fields of tax, business, housing and welfare.
Date Added: Monday 29th October 2018
