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| Corbyn attacks 'utterly complacent' budget as public services suffer | Corbyn attacks 'utterly complacent' budget as public services suffer |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jeremy Corbyn accused the chancellor of showing “utter complacency” over the state of the economy and ignoring the needs of workers, as he responded to the budget in the House of Commons. | |
| He said Philip Hammond failed to understand the reality of life for millions of people and the crisis facing public services, as he attacked the chancellor for not giving more money to the NHS. | |
| “This was a budget of utter complacency about the state of our economy,” he said. “Utter complacency about the crisis facing our public services and complacent about the reality of daily life for millions of people in this country. Entirely out of touch with that reality of life for millions.” | “This was a budget of utter complacency about the state of our economy,” he said. “Utter complacency about the crisis facing our public services and complacent about the reality of daily life for millions of people in this country. Entirely out of touch with that reality of life for millions.” |
| In his second response to a budget since becoming leader of the opposition, Corbyn took the opportunity to criticise Hammond for failing to help the neediest in society – from those using food banks to the homeless. | In his second response to a budget since becoming leader of the opposition, Corbyn took the opportunity to criticise Hammond for failing to help the neediest in society – from those using food banks to the homeless. |
| He spoke of the lack of support for people on zero-hours contracts, the pay freeze for public sector workers, and the housing crisis, while companies are getting corporation tax cuts. | |
| Corbyn said there were already clear indications of a damaging impact on schools, prisons and social care under Hammond and the prime minister, Theresa May. | |
| He also criticised the £2bn extra funding for social care as insufficient, particularly with more cuts coming down the line for councils in years to come as their central government funding reduces when business rate revenues are increasingly devolved. | |
| “This government have taken a sledgehammer to public services in recent years, yet the chancellor now expects praise for patching up a small part of that damage,” Corbyn said. “This budget did not provide the funding necessary now to deal with the crisis in our NHS, which the British Medical Association reckons needs an extra £10bn. | “This government have taken a sledgehammer to public services in recent years, yet the chancellor now expects praise for patching up a small part of that damage,” Corbyn said. “This budget did not provide the funding necessary now to deal with the crisis in our NHS, which the British Medical Association reckons needs an extra £10bn. |
| “The budget did not provide the funding necessary to end now the state of emergency in social care, which needs £2bn a year just to plug the gaps, according to the King’s Fund. Those needs will not be met by £2bn over three years – the money is needed now.” | “The budget did not provide the funding necessary to end now the state of emergency in social care, which needs £2bn a year just to plug the gaps, according to the King’s Fund. Those needs will not be met by £2bn over three years – the money is needed now.” |
| Corbyn did not get into many of the details of the budget announcements, although he criticised Hammond for putting an extra burden on the self-employed with the rise in national insurance contributions. | Corbyn did not get into many of the details of the budget announcements, although he criticised Hammond for putting an extra burden on the self-employed with the rise in national insurance contributions. |
| Instead he took a broader line of attack, accusing the chancellor of having “appalling priorities” in allowing “another year of tax breaks for the few and public service cuts for the many”. | |
| He said it showed May had failed to help the struggling families she had promised to support when taking office on the steps of Downing Street last July. | He said it showed May had failed to help the struggling families she had promised to support when taking office on the steps of Downing Street last July. |
| “This budget did not address them: it failed them,” he said. “This budget does nothing to tackle low pay, nothing to solve the state of emergency that persists for the many people who demand and need health and social care now, and nothing to make a fair economy that truly works for everyone. It is built on unfairness and on a failure to tackle unfairness in our society.” | “This budget did not address them: it failed them,” he said. “This budget does nothing to tackle low pay, nothing to solve the state of emergency that persists for the many people who demand and need health and social care now, and nothing to make a fair economy that truly works for everyone. It is built on unfairness and on a failure to tackle unfairness in our society.” |
| John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, later expanded on Labour’s budget response, saying the party will “oppose the £2bn Tory tax on self-employed low- and middle-earners”. |