Wednesday 24 October 2018

Light at the end of the tunnel? Will it be an ‘end of austerity’ Budget

With just a few weeks to go until Budget 2018, the Chancellor faces a tough balancing act of managing high expectations following promises of an end to austerity, and even higher uncertainty as Britain prepares to leave the European Union next Spring.

Faced with such uncertainty, how can the Chancellor find the extra £20bn promised for the NHS and show there is light at the end of the austerity tunnel? Will the Budget be a quiet affair or the moment the government tries to show it is about more than just delivering Brexit?

At an event at its Westminster headquarters, the Resolution Foundation presented the key findings from its pre-Budget report – which highlighted some of the challenges and trade-offs facing the Chancellor. A panel of experts then set out how they would approach the Budget, before taking part in an audience Q&A.

 

Speakers

Nick Macpherson, former Permanent Secretary at the Treasury

Anneliese Dodds, Shadow Treasury Minister

Matt Whittaker, Deputy Director at the Resolution Foundation

Torsten Bell, Director of the Resolution Foundation