Urmstongran
The economy is booming, Mr Sunak cheerfully announced. Forecasts of mass unemployment were wrong. Estimates of the economic scarring due to the pandemic have been revised down, which meant that there was more money for seemingly everything.
The NHS, schools, in fact every government department: all will benefit from Mr Sunak’s beneficence. The foreign aid cut will be cancelled, universal credit claimants will get to keep more of their own money as their wages rise, and an unexpected reform of alcohol duty will reward drinkers of rosé (albeit at the expense of those who prefer red).
What’s not to like? Hmm.
A few details are beginning to emerge. I've read the small print applying to schools. Originally, it was claimed that funding per pupil would be back to 2010 levels (accounting for inflation). That equates to about £1,500 per pupil on average, which indicates that pupils are currently underfunded by the same amount compared with 2010, when the Conservatives came to power.
However, what has now emerged is that the amount will be phased in and schools won't receive the full amount until 2025.
Meanwhile, the latest funding formula has meant that schools in deprived areas have lost funding, so that average amount will be less for the most needy schools.
It's funny that the details aren't included in the main statement.