Different Chancellor, same failed policy of slashing public spending

The new Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has today ripped up most of his predecessor’s ‘mini-budget’ and pledged to improve the public finances by cutting spending.

As part of his statement Mr Hunt cancelled almost all of the proposed tax cuts including the 1p off income tax, the cut to dividend tax and the cut to fuel duty. He also announced that the energy price guarantee, insulating households from energy bill rises, will only apply to everyone until April 2023.

It is being reported that the Chancellor is to sit down with secretaries of state early this week to thrash out exactly what can be cut from departmental budgets.

Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, said:

“We may have a new Chancellor, but we are seeing the same failed policy of slashing public spending.

“In recent months the government threatened 91,000 civil service jobs cuts. Then rowed back.

“Now in a blind panic they are calling for a plan for big cuts by Friday without any sense of what services the government should stop providing. This is no way to run the country.

“The public will be left fearing for the future of their services, and public servants are being set up to pay the price for a disaster made entirely in Downing Street.”