Jeremy Hunt, like many of his predecessors, is not blessed with a frothing economy or miles of fiscal headroom. Consequently, his self-declared task is to get Britain ‘back to work’, starting with today’s Budget.
The Chancellor boosted the tax-free lifetime allowance for pensions, expanded free childcare provision and scrapped work capability assessments. All three should, the Government hopes, entice more older people, parents and those with disabilities to return to the workforce.
This is vital, because Britain is facing a workforce crunch, in part as a result of the pandemic, when many left and never came back. This was exacerbated by the restrictions on free movement caused by Brexit, further reducing the ability of UK businesses to hire.
But there is no easy fix. Many over-50s, particularly those who own their home outright, do not need to work and can therefore take early retirement, while those suffering with long-term health conditions are unable to. In the immediate term, Hunt has little ability to persuade either.
Frustratingly for all chancellors, many of the determinants of growth are out of their hands. A Russian invasion of Ukraine or a bank run in the United States can have a far greater impact than anything conjured up in Whitehall. But Hunt is right to use more of the tools at his disposal to boost the workforce and in the process our economy. The alternative is stagnation, higher taxes and creaking public services.
Agree to end misery
What will not aid the recovery is strikes. But those this week, from the Tube to teachers and junior doctors, are projected to cost the London economy £170 million.
Each public sector pay deal must be negotiated on its merits. But ‘back to work’ ought also to include sensible agreements to end the strike misery afflicting millions of parents, commuters and businesses.
Something surely for members of the Government — or at least those without ministerial cars — to ponder as they walked, took the bus or hailed a taxi on their way into Parliament for today’s Budget.
Take a date, not advice
“Marry the man today and change his ways tomorrow” is perhaps the worst piece of dating advice in the history of theatre. Nonetheless, Guys & Dolls is widely considered to be among the greatest Broadway musicals.
And the Evening Standard’s chief theatre critic, Nick Curtis, awarded the London revival a five-star review, praising the casting, performances and choreography. That Andrew Richardson, making his professional stage debut as the suave Sky Masterson, sang a couple of lines of Luck, Be a Lady directly to his wife, did not hurt.
So, there is no reason not to book a ticket to the Bridge Theatre for an evening of raucous entertainment. Just don’t bring a date expecting you can change them.
