The Budget

Not yet. In the next phase of spending, so he said.

I'd be interested to know what those Tory supporters who were vociferous in their support of bringing down the deficit think of this Budget. The Chancellor's proposals are similar to those of the LP, which many decried.

Dinah I thought the same. All the calls to have the national budget balance like a household budget!
When Corbyn or those of us here who advocated a Keynsian approach - borrow to buy the way out of austerity - all decried as left-wing irresponsibility.
Invest in infrastructure while interest rates are so low. Spendthrift rubbish!
Instead of prioritising the paying down of the national debt the tories have been panicked into this spend spend spend approach.
Not a carefully-planned economic philosophy but a knee-jerk reaction.

Nothing to address the social care crisis or the climate change emergency.

I see they found the magic money tree again....and forgot to factor in all the extra spending .

Part Corona Virus mitigation, by far the largest part post Brexit spending spree, massive borrowing based on blind optimism. Much talk about “leveling up” very little detail on help for the regions.
I really hope Brexit turns out to be a good deal, if it doesn’t, —————.

Well Brexit has already meant a 2% drop in U.K. growth and cost billions. The national debt is 2 trillion or some huge figure. We are in a weak position, so all the talking up of high employment and bright futures doesn’t admit reality. Let’s hope the blank cheque for the NHS equates to £350m a week.

Stunning performance. Sunak is clearly passionate about his country & its future. Yay!

I like the fact that 22,000 civil servants are going to be relocated out of the Westminster bubble!

Sunak was upbeat, positive, clearly loves this country and wants us to do well. Supporting business and workers. He was realistic about the challenges with this virus but said it is something temporary. Such a change from misery guts Philip Hammond.

This Budget could have come straight off the pen of John McDonald and doubtless, he would have been roundly condemned by a great number on this forum for "wrecking the economy".

Ahhh, it's a funny old world

You’re probably right in some respects Grandad1943 in which case, if Sunak has pinched a few of McDonnell’s ideas the outcome ought to be that we are ALL happy with this Budget!
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I thought £billions had been pledged varian for green issues! Not enough for you?

Hear hear Urmstongran ??A great budget and a great delivery speech by Sunak.?
Sour grapes by some on here! It’s a better budget than they anticipated.?
Austerity is over....T May said that last year and Johnson is backing that up.We need a new direction with Brexit and time
For some optimism which is not to be sneered at.....as a country we need to be brought together and to look forward to better things.Sunak got the tone and timing for these new measures absolutely right, including all to do with Coronavirus.

Urmstongran, yes I believe we all can be at one on the budget as it exceeds even the Labour Party plans for spending of the last election in many areas.

We had all better hope that interest rates remain low worldwide though, and the coronavirus outbreak does not send the economy into recession.

This is as much a gamble for the Consevatives as it would have been for Labour if they were in power, but yes I am pleased that austerity is really over.

Now, how about something in regard to those on Zero hours contacts and those having to work in the GiG Economy for then we will have a true socialist government. ?

Sunak has proved to be a good performer no doubt and if we get a good Brexit deal we are set for a good future. The downside is that failure will mean sterling falls to new lows, does that matter?.

Imports cost more, overseas holidays cost more, maybe that’s a price we are willing to pay for being rid of EU, oh, and the currency traders will make millions selling sterling.

£600bn is a lot, probably enough to build a tunnel to Ireland as well!.

What a change to see such a pleasant, forward-looking young man instead of some of the stick in the mud fuddy duddies that there have been.
Sunak is a man of the world with a better understanding of the economy and businesses apart from them making oodles of money he's got a more humanistic approach. Well done that man.

EllanVallin, Sunaks family have made a lot of money. Off the backs of the poor in India and other developing countries.

I am also impressed with the new Chancellor so far.
There was a lot riding on this Budget wasn’t there, and he had such a short time to put it all together.

There is definitely a feeling of energy and optimism in the government which is just what we need.

Corbyn’s inevitably critical response was almost embarrassing to listen to.

Wonder why Corbyn responded - isn’t it usually the Shadow Chancellor’s job?

Didn't they say the debt had been going down...from 800 MILLION to 2 .3 TRILLION since 2008 is hardly a financial success,and it will get worse under the tories.Anyone who refuses to see the implcations for the future is wearing their tory blinkers.There will be a massive recession ahead and thats before he adds the extra expenditure he announced but didn't calculate into his budget .The bad news for the devolved nations is they plan to put treasury offices into all 3 of us ..direct rule will be next if we dont escape this mess quick

Corbyn’s inevitably critical response was almost embarrassing to listen to

erm, it's the job of an opposition to offer a critical response! Unfortunately, there is almost no opposition in this country at the moment which is quite dangerous for democracy, that value that appears to be so important to some.

Still, with the country in the hands of an investment banker and a network of ex public school boys and their unelected advisor, dear old Dom, what is there to be worried about! (Irony here, one appears to need to point this out on GN).

Oh but paddyanne the financial system is not like managing a household, didn't you know? Heavy irony here. If the Labour Party had produced a similar budget, all hell would have let loose. I agree about a coming recession but that's ok, they'll blame the nasty EU for not falling over backwards and giving us a deal better than actually being a member of the community.

Being a leftist must be such a miserable and exhausting experience, even when things go your way you have to pretend to be outraged.

The level of investment Sunak has committed to is remarkable, I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out over the course of the parliament.

I am amazed that social care was not mentioned. There is an immediate crisis in social care as I know only too well because my elderly mother is in the system. Over the next few weeks I can see social care moving from crisis to disaster, and of course there is a knock on effect for the NHS.
I wonder if the elderly are being thought of as dispensable, and disposable?

It will apparently be announced in an autumn budget Greeneyedgirl.

Compare us with Italy who are not admitting the elderly with coronovirus to ICU beds.
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One of many million I suspect Davidhs. It just happens that he's in the public arena----many aren't.