Category: budget

A grown-up budget to rejuvenate public services and turn the page on Tory failings, says UNISON

Commenting on the budget delivered today (Wednesday) by the chancellor, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:

“Rachel Reeves has hit the reset button, erasing the Tory shambles and misery of the past.

“This authoritative budget turns the page on the horrible history of the past 14 years. The Conservatives’ toxic combination of austerity, unfunded spending and fake promises to lower taxes left the country in a dreadful state.

“The chancellor’s vision shows economic stability can be restored by investing in the NHS, schools, care and local councils.

“Good quality, well-funded and sufficiently staffed services are essential for a healthy, highly skilled and well-supported population.

“The last government hid the true state of the country’s finances, leaving public services in tatters. No one should have to put up with long delays for treatment, dilapidated schools, roads full of holes, community facilities sold off to prevent councils from going under or a lack of support when their elderly relatives need care.

“By putting up the minimum wage and ending the freeze on tax thresholds, the government has shown it understands the pressures working families face.

“Asking those with deeper pockets to pay more is the right thing to do. Decent public services can’t be delivered on the cheap. It’s important to spend to invest in the UK’s future.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service, and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary, and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article A grown-up budget to rejuvenate public services and turn the page on Tory failings, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

A grown-up budget to rejuvenate public services and turn the page on Tory failings, says UNISON

Commenting on the budget delivered today (Wednesday) by the chancellor, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:

“Rachel Reeves has hit the reset button, erasing the Tory shambles and misery of the past.

“This authoritative budget turns the page on the horrible history of the past 14 years. The Conservatives’ toxic combination of austerity, unfunded spending and fake promises to lower taxes left the country in a dreadful state.

“The chancellor’s vision shows economic stability can be restored by investing in the NHS, schools, care and local councils.

“Good quality, well-funded and sufficiently staffed services are essential for a healthy, highly skilled and well-supported population.

“The last government hid the true state of the country’s finances, leaving public services in tatters. No one should have to put up with long delays for treatment, dilapidated schools, roads full of holes, community facilities sold off to prevent councils from going under or a lack of support when their elderly relatives need care.

“By putting up the minimum wage and ending the freeze on tax thresholds, the government has shown it understands the pressures working families face.

“Asking those with deeper pockets to pay more is the right thing to do. Decent public services can’t be delivered on the cheap. It’s important to spend to invest in the UK’s future.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service, and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary, and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article A grown-up budget to rejuvenate public services and turn the page on Tory failings, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy, and it’s time to ease that pressure. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

What does the budget really mean for you?

by Anna Birley from UNISON’s policy unit

While goings on in Westminster can feel a long way from normal day-to-day life, the decisions made at the budget by the chancellor have a huge impact on everybody’s work, household finances and the public services we all rely on.

This week’s budget was no different, so let’s break down what the budget means for you and the services you rely on, along with some helpful myth-busting on the way.

What’s happening with my taxes?

The biggest headline, which was trailed days before the formal announcement, was the 2p cut in National Insurance. At first glance, this seems positive – after all, National Insurance is a tax specifically on working people.

However, in practice, this small cut hides a much more troubling picture. At a cost of £10bn, this is a very expensive way to put money back into the pockets of higher income workers.

While the government suggests that it will be worth £450 for the average worker, what this actually means is just £34 back each year for low-income workers, compared to £424 a year for the richest households.

This means almost half of the £10bn spent will end up in the pockets of the richest 20% of households and only 3% will benefit the poorest 20%.

On top of this, other, stealth taxes – measures that were not mentioned in the chancellor’s budget speech but will have a huge impact on household budgets – are more than cancelling out the National Insurance cut.

The personal allowance threshold has been frozen, which means more and more low earners are being pulled into paying taxes, and which is increasing the level of tax that everyone pays, especially lower earners.

The big picture is that taxes haven’t been higher since the Second World War – so the National Insurance announcement is little more than a gimmick. More pain for working people, while the Conservatives play games to try and reverse their electoral misfortunes. On top of that, they cut capital gains taxes, which will benefit landlords and second-home owners, not workers.

Will the budget help grow the economy?

The chancellor claims that tax cuts are the route to growing the economy. But every time he tries this same trick, the economy continues to stagnate. He’s cut National Insurance once already, just a few months ago, in the autumn statement. The result? The UK entered into recession.

At UNISON, we know that tax cuts are not the route to economic growth. Instead, investment in public services is critical to a healthy economy.

People cannot return to work if they are too sick – and they won’t get better if the social care system is in tatters and NHS waiting lists remain so long. Good quality local services, from schools to councils, are the foundation blocks of economic growth.

What about public services?

Instead of investing in essential public services, the chancellor announced further cuts. Instead of investing in police staff to ensure the streets are safe, he announced drones. Instead of funding more nurses, he announced an IT system upgrade.

Public services are on their knees – as are the workers delivering them. Public service workers need a pay rise, not a chancellor telling them to work harder for less.

Is there anything to be positive about?

It’s not all bad news. The Conservatives, clearly out of ideas, stole a couple of good policies from Labour.

They finally decided to abolish the non-dom tax system which allowed people to keep their money overseas without paying taxes, and they extended the windfall tax on the big oil and gas companies that are continuing to profit from high energy bills while polluting the planet.

They also bowed to pressure to extend the Household Support Fund and raise the child benefit taper.

But there’s more to do – these stolen policies are a start, but there is a long way to go to creating a fairer economy.

The chancellor claimed that his party was the only party with a plan for the economy – but when the plan destroys services, keeps wages down and bills high, and pushes the economy into recession, while cutting taxes for the country’s higher earners, then it’s clear the plan isn’t working.

With the right people in power, making the right choices, it is possible to have a thriving economy, driven by a healthy, happy, safe and productive workforce.

The article What does the budget really mean for you? first appeared on the UNISON National site.

What does the budget really mean for you?

by Anna Birley from UNISON’s policy unit

While goings on in Westminster can feel a long way from normal day-to-day life, the decisions made at the budget by the chancellor have a huge impact on everybody’s work, household finances and the public services we all rely on.

This week’s budget was no different, so let’s break down what the budget means for you and the services you rely on, along with some helpful myth-busting on the way.

What’s happening with my taxes?

The biggest headline, which was trailed days before the formal announcement, was the 2p cut in National Insurance. At first glance, this seems positive – after all, National Insurance is a tax specifically on working people.

However, in practice, this small cut hides a much more troubling picture. At a cost of £10bn, this is a very expensive way to put money back into the pockets of higher income workers.

While the government suggests that it will be worth £450 for the average worker, what this actually means is just £34 back each year for low-income workers, compared to £424 a year for the richest households.

This means almost half of the £10bn spent will end up in the pockets of the richest 20% of households and only 3% will benefit the poorest 20%.

On top of this, other, stealth taxes – measures that were not mentioned in the chancellor’s budget speech but will have a huge impact on household budgets – are more than cancelling out the National Insurance cut.

The personal allowance threshold has been frozen, which means more and more low earners are being pulled into paying taxes, and which is increasing the level of tax that everyone pays, especially lower earners.

The big picture is that taxes haven’t been higher since the Second World War – so the National Insurance announcement is little more than a gimmick. More pain for working people, while the Conservatives play games to try and reverse their electoral misfortunes. On top of that, they cut capital gains taxes, which will benefit landlords and second-home owners, not workers.

Will the budget help grow the economy?

The chancellor claims that tax cuts are the route to growing the economy. But every time he tries this same trick, the economy continues to stagnate. He’s cut National Insurance once already, just a few months ago, in the autumn statement. The result? The UK entered into recession.

At UNISON, we know that tax cuts are not the route to economic growth. Instead, investment in public services is critical to a healthy economy.

People cannot return to work if they are too sick – and they won’t get better if the social care system is in tatters and NHS waiting lists remain so long. Good quality local services, from schools to councils, are the foundation blocks of economic growth.

What about public services?

Instead of investing in essential public services, the chancellor announced further cuts. Instead of investing in police staff to ensure the streets are safe, he announced drones. Instead of funding more nurses, he announced an IT system upgrade.

Public services are on their knees – as are the workers delivering them. Public service workers need a pay rise, not a chancellor telling them to work harder for less.

Is there anything to be positive about?

It’s not all bad news. The Conservatives, clearly out of ideas, stole a couple of good policies from Labour.

They finally decided to abolish the non-dom tax system which allowed people to keep their money overseas without paying taxes, and they extended the windfall tax on the big oil and gas companies that are continuing to profit from high energy bills while polluting the planet.

They also bowed to pressure to extend the Household Support Fund and raise the child benefit taper.

But there’s more to do – these stolen policies are a start, but there is a long way to go to creating a fairer economy.

The chancellor claimed that his party was the only party with a plan for the economy – but when the plan destroys services, keeps wages down and bills high, and pushes the economy into recession, while cutting taxes for the country’s higher earners, then it’s clear the plan isn’t working.

With the right people in power, making the right choices, it is possible to have a thriving economy, driven by a healthy, happy, safe and productive workforce.

The article What does the budget really mean for you? first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Chancellor is living in a fantasy world

Commenting on the spring budget today (Wednesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: 

“This is the stuff of fantasy. The public won’t be fooled. Taxes overall remain at a record high and the promised growth is nowhere to be seen, despite what the chancellor would have everyone believe. 

“There’s no budget giveaway for the lowest paid. They’ll be substantially worse off. And persistently punching public services in the face helps no one.

“Families might be struggling, but people would rather have functioning local services than a few possible extra pounds in their pockets. 

“Public services are the fabric keeping communities together. No one wants to go weeks to see a GP, spend hours waiting in over-crowded A&E departments or languish on growing NHS waiting lists. 

“People want care packages when they need support, school buildings that won’t fall apart and for the police to keep them safe. That’s no longer possible under the Conservatives.

“Public services can barely cope as it is. Proper investment is what’s needed, not another dose of callous austerity or telling nurses, teaching assistants and care staff to work harder. 

“Never mind going back to square one, the chancellor’s determined to take the country back to the days of Charles Dickens.

“But let’s face it, this government ran out of ideas long ago. Ministers have misread the public mood and will pay for it at the ballot box.

“Rishi Sunak and his failing ministers are living on borrowed time. This lot should finally put the country first and call an election.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Chancellor is living in a fantasy world first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Chancellor is living in a fantasy world

Commenting on the spring budget today (Wednesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: 

“This is the stuff of fantasy. The public won’t be fooled. Taxes overall remain at a record high and the promised growth is nowhere to be seen, despite what the chancellor would have everyone believe. 

“There’s no budget giveaway for the lowest paid. They’ll be substantially worse off. And persistently punching public services in the face helps no one.

“Families might be struggling, but people would rather have functioning local services than a few possible extra pounds in their pockets. 

“Public services are the fabric keeping communities together. No one wants to go weeks to see a GP, spend hours waiting in over-crowded A&E departments or languish on growing NHS waiting lists. 

“People want care packages when they need support, school buildings that won’t fall apart and for the police to keep them safe. That’s no longer possible under the Conservatives.

“Public services can barely cope as it is. Proper investment is what’s needed, not another dose of callous austerity or telling nurses, teaching assistants and care staff to work harder. 

“Never mind going back to square one, the chancellor’s determined to take the country back to the days of Charles Dickens.

“But let’s face it, this government ran out of ideas long ago. Ministers have misread the public mood and will pay for it at the ballot box.

“Rishi Sunak and his failing ministers are living on borrowed time. This lot should finally put the country first and call an election.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Chancellor is living in a fantasy world first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON opinion: The budget will deliver more cuts and more pain

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

Working people are bearing a triple burden. The cost of living crisis is still here, taxes are weighing heavy on workers, and in return, we’re getting broken public services that can’t guarantee support for everyone.

It’s even more galling for public service workers – they spend their working lives propping up essential services, only to be undermined at every turn by the Westminster government.

Underfunding services and undervaluing the workforce sabotages every effort made in hospitals, councils, schools, care homes and in the community.

The prime minister and the chancellor keep telling the public to stick with the plan, but the plan failed a long time ago.

Tomorrow’s Budget is an opportunity to help the economy grow, invest in public services, tackle low pay and ensure the country is not only prepared for the challenges ahead, but building a better future for everyone.

It will likely fail on all counts, with the Conservatives hoping to take off the edge with a sweetener gimmick. But gimmicks and slogans don’t put food on the table.

Rishi’s recession threatens to trap even more people into poverty, and the Treasury seems poised to further trash our public services with more cuts to spending. They’ll try and justify it with a small cut to income tax or national insurance.

Given the choice, the public would rather miss out on this ploy if it means properly investing in our struggling NHS, broken social care and childcare systems, saving councils from bankruptcy and boosting the economy.

UNISON agrees that taxes on working people are too high and it’s wrong that wealth isn’t taxed to the same level as earned income, but a 1p or 2p cut to National Insurance will benefit the richest households 12 times more than the poorest.

UNISON believes in an economy that has fairness at its heart. That means cancelling the personal allowance freeze so the lowest earners aren’t pulled into paying taxes they can’t afford. It means increasing taxes on unearned wealth so landlords are no longer paying less in taxes than their tenants. And it means fixing the tax loopholes that allow non-doms to get away with not paying their fair share, and gives the green light to oil and gas companies pocketing mega profits while polluting the planet.

Above all, fairness is about equal access to great quality public services. Right now, they’re on their knees – as are the workers delivering them.

After fourteen years of economic mismanagement, I know what to expect from tomorrow’s budget. More pain for working people, more money in the pockets of the wealthiest, more cuts to public services.

With the right people in power, making the right choices, it is possible to have a thriving economy, driven by a healthy, happy, safe and productive workforce. But all this depends on having a government that will deliver decent public services that can support everyone.

The article UNISON opinion: The budget will deliver more cuts and more pain first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON opinion: The budget will deliver more cuts and more pain

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

Working people are bearing a triple burden. The cost of living crisis is still here, taxes are weighing heavy on workers, and in return, we’re getting broken public services that can’t guarantee support for everyone.

It’s even more galling for public service workers – they spend their working lives propping up essential services, only to be undermined at every turn by the Westminster government.

Underfunding services and undervaluing the workforce sabotages every effort made in hospitals, councils, schools, care homes and in the community.

The prime minister and the chancellor keep telling the public to stick with the plan, but the plan failed a long time ago.

Tomorrow’s Budget is an opportunity to help the economy grow, invest in public services, tackle low pay and ensure the country is not only prepared for the challenges ahead, but building a better future for everyone.

It will likely fail on all counts, with the Conservatives hoping to take off the edge with a sweetener gimmick. But gimmicks and slogans don’t put food on the table.

Rishi’s recession threatens to trap even more people into poverty, and the Treasury seems poised to further trash our public services with more cuts to spending. They’ll try and justify it with a small cut to income tax or national insurance.

Given the choice, the public would rather miss out on this ploy if it means properly investing in our struggling NHS, broken social care and childcare systems, saving councils from bankruptcy and boosting the economy.

UNISON agrees that taxes on working people are too high and it’s wrong that wealth isn’t taxed to the same level as earned income, but a 1p or 2p cut to National Insurance will benefit the richest households 12 times more than the poorest.

UNISON believes in an economy that has fairness at its heart. That means cancelling the personal allowance freeze so the lowest earners aren’t pulled into paying taxes they can’t afford. It means increasing taxes on unearned wealth so landlords are no longer paying less in taxes than their tenants. And it means fixing the tax loopholes that allow non-doms to get away with not paying their fair share, and gives the green light to oil and gas companies pocketing mega profits while polluting the planet.

Above all, fairness is about equal access to great quality public services. Right now, they’re on their knees – as are the workers delivering them.

After fourteen years of economic mismanagement, I know what to expect from tomorrow’s budget. More pain for working people, more money in the pockets of the wealthiest, more cuts to public services.

With the right people in power, making the right choices, it is possible to have a thriving economy, driven by a healthy, happy, safe and productive workforce. But all this depends on having a government that will deliver decent public services that can support everyone.

The article UNISON opinion: The budget will deliver more cuts and more pain first appeared on the UNISON National site.