Sunday’s Observer led with the dramatic headline ‘Revealed: the £30bn cost of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget’. Apparently, the former PM is responsible for half of the estimated £60bn fiscal hole that Jeremy Hunt intends to fill on Thursday with tax increases and spending cuts. But if you are suspicious about this claim, then you are right to … Continue reading Is Liz Truss really to blame for £30 billion of austerity?
Tag: Budget
Are tax rises inevitable?
If you believe the smoke signals from the Treasury – and you probably should – the Budget on 17 November will have to include big increases in tax in order to plug a ‘black hole’ in the public finances. But is it inevitable that taxes will have to rise and, if so, what’s the best way to … Continue reading Are tax rises inevitable?
‘Morning after’ reflections on the mini-Budget…
It may well take some time for the dust to settle on Kwasi Kwarteng’s first Budget (yes, ‘Budget’: if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s fair to call it a duck). The initial reaction from most economic commentators and in the financial markets has been … Continue reading ‘Morning after’ reflections on the mini-Budget…
Sunak must keep trying to cut tax before the next election
The Treasury’s “fiscal rules” are rather like New Year’s resolutions: many of us make them, but few keep them. Nonetheless, after the spending binge during the pandemic, the Government needs some sort of framework to bring borrowing back under control. We may not have to wait much longer. The Chancellor is expected to unveil new … Continue reading Sunak must keep trying to cut tax before the next election
Plain-speaking Economics 