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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National

This Labour budget is austerity by another name

Rachel Reeves presenting the annual budget statement in the House of Commons in London on October 30, 2024.
Rachel Reeves presents the budget statement in the House of Commons, 30 October. Photograph: UK Parliament/AFP/Getty Images

Labour’s first budget punishes the “working people” they claim to support. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves promised to deliver real change to the electorate, after 14 years of Tory rule. This week, they have broken that promise. This budget is austerity by another name.

While we welcome the government’s decision to invest in school and hospital buildings, it is extremely disappointing that these investments have been undermined by a swathe of public sector cuts, cruel attacks on the worst off, and a dogmatic refusal to redistribute wealth and power. These are not “tough choices” for government ministers, but for ordinary people who are forced to choose between heating their home and putting food on the table.

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