Listening to the Spring Statement, it's not hard to see why people are disillusioned with politics. The Chancellor began by saying how wonderful the economy was and how everything was going to plan while the Shadow Chancellor responded with how terrible the economy was and how there was no plan. …
Economy
Response to the Budget
Paul Morrison, Public Issues Advisor for the Joint Public Issues Team, looks at how the Budget will impact poverty, inequality and other justice issues. A Budget that will reduce child poverty The Chancellor has announced that from April next year the two-child limit on benefits will be …
Repeatedly taking the easy choice on welfare
JPIT's Paul Morrison responds to potential disability benefit cuts. In the November 2024 budget the Chancellor decided to keep the last government’s £3bn of disability benefit cuts which were pencilled in for the next three years. This was called a “difficult decision”. Over the past week, the …
Looking at the Government Budget
Reflecting on the Budget The Let’s End Poverty campaign, which many churches are supporting, had called for a Budget that prioritised the poorest. This was not it. Everyone in the UK, including the least well off, will benefit from the increased spending on public services, which will certainly …
The Budget: a masterclass in ignoring poverty
The headline measure in the Budget was a 2p cut in National Insurance. This gives the bottom fifth of earners around £350m a year, however the top fifth of earners will receive over 10 times more – more than £4Bn. This tax cut costs £10Bn a year and is the largest financial decision in the budget by …
Response to the budget
Leaders from across the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches have responded to the Chancellor’s announcements made in the Budget on 6 March. They have highlighted the lack of acknowledgement of people struggling against poverty in our communities, and the lack of difference announcements …
Interest rate rises: is there another way?
On 22nd June, the Today programme contained an interview with Karen Morgan, an economist who advises the Chancellor and is employed by the financial institution JP Morgan. She gave an admirably honest account of the orthodox view of tackling inflation. In the summary clip here, she states that the …
Banning boycotts and divestments – have we not learned anything from South Africa?
The UK Government has just tabled a bill placing restrictions on Local Authorities and universities that is extraordinary in many ways. The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill states that central government (not Local Authorities or their constituents or the governing …
Briefing on the ‘Mini Budget’ for the Enough to Live group
26th September 2022 The big question we asked of the 23 September budget[1] was that it should provide people with enough to live this winter. Prior to the budget, Prof Donald Hirsh calculated that after considering the Energy Price Guarantee and other payments, an average family of four …
An energy cap announcement in three parts: the good, the absent and the ugly
Today, 50+ faith, charity and community leaders signed an open letter to the PM, urging further targeting support for the poorest households in response to rising costs. Click here to read the letter. Having faced the prospect of average household energy costs topping £5,000, it could be …