Budget won’t tackle healthcare and education issues, local Reform UK representative says

THE budget will fail to fully tackle issues around healthcare and schools, a local Reform UK representative has said.

Labour’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a number of tax rises this week, but said investment would be made in a number of areas.

Those included funding for the NHS and schools.

But Richard Howard, who stood for Reform UK in the Lichfield constituency at the General Election, said the public would not fall for Labour’s narrative on the economy.

He said:

“Rachel Reeves announced monetary support for all of the emotive election pledge issues you’d expect – healthcare, education, living wage, net zero, the list goes on. But are the public so naive to fall for this? I think not.

“The government’s motivation would normally be the repair of the economy and to strengthen the pound. The Conservatives attempted the same too, with both being two sides of the same coin after all.

“However, this budget won’t fix a broken NHS and the money will be spread too thin to make a sizeable impact on schools. It won’t save the economy either.

“The real budget is hidden behind a veil and is akin to the tempting gingerbread house in the tale of Hansel and Gretel.”

Mr Howard said predictions from his party of Labour tax and borrowing increases had come to fruition.

“One of the main sources of tax revenue comes from employer contributions to National Insurance. Taxes combined will now grow and ultimately account for a predicted 38% of GDP by the end of the decade.

“Borrowing is also set to increase year on year too. Slow growth is likely and a recession possible.

“If you now have a wage increase to look forward to or are saving a penny on a pint and think you have got through this budget unscathed, think again. We are all going to pay for it either directly or indirectly, whether you are the rich or the poor.”