Transcripts For BBCNEWS Politics Live 20200311 11:15:00

Now lets go over to westminster and join that bbc special on the budget with andrew neil. It is budget day, thejohnson government unveils its new plans, with special emphasis on its new voters in the midlands and the north. But for a rookie chancellor, only 28 days in the job, the north. But for a rookie chancellor, only 28 days in thejob, the biggest challenge is the growing Economic Impact of the coronavirus, and what he can do to vaccinate the economy from it. With me for this politics live budget special Political Editor laura kuennssberg, Business Editor simonjack, and economics editor faisal islam. It was meant to be the levelling up budget, to the regions and people that have not done well in the past decade but looks set to be the coronavirus budget. This morning he bank of england has already announced an emergency cut in Interest Rates. The bank of englands role is to help uk businesses and households manage through an economic shock that could prove large and sharp. Meanwhile, coronavirus hits Westminster Health minister Nadine Dorries is diagnosed with the virus. Are you going to be tested for coronavirus, minister . A dramatic backdrop for any chancellor delivering a budget, let alone one just 28 days in to the job. Faisal, it seems that the backdrop to this budget is fear of a serious down turn in the economy, perhaps already happening, and longer than one quarter and not scaremongering, but the possibility now that we move into recession. Large and sharp was the words from governor carney. That refers to the hit to the economy. As you referred to, there is some Growth Numbers out showing the economy flat. Any extra impact and the coronavirus impacts on International Economy was beginning to be seen injanuary, coming from chan. That would have hit the uk economy, but nothing like the hit we have seen in europe and the uk eight is important to stress there is the impact of the virus and the impact of trying to contain the virus. There is a really delicate trade off between the two factors. But youre right to use the r word. It is why we have had this emergency action, half a per cent off. From the bank. Record lows in Interest Rates. It is not just about interest record lows in Interest Rates. It is notjust about Interest Rates, people will say what will that do to make me buy more stuff when i cant leave the house or go to work. So it is part of tool kit that allows the Interest Rate to be passed on and people to be paid through what they hope will be a temporary shock and it does suggest what we are going to get from the treasury will be of equalfire get from the treasury will be of equal fire power. Laura, get from the treasury will be of equalfire power. Laura, the dangerer in italy and germany and all chancellors have competing pressures , all chancellors have competing pressures, but this one has more than most, he has to outline the big Infrastructure Programme and do more on spending and keep his new friends in the north happy and keep the old tory base happy. There are a lot of balls in the air. It is like juggfing balls in the air. It is like juggling water barely a month into the job and the government only a couple of months since winning what should have been an enormous majority that gave them time to sit back and think, what are our priorities . That is of course pleasing people who voted tory for the First Time Ever or in a long time that are not their traditional support or how do they pick their political priority, science, theyre keen on this, housing, they want to do things about that. But the impact of coronavirus still the potential impact which is so unpredictable has changed that. And this is going to feel, i think like an emergency budget. It is an Economic Situation that has changed the complexion of everything that the government is looking at in its first few months in office. We are going to hear some dramatic interventions from the chancellor. But they still dont wa nt chancellor. But they still dont want to give up on their medium to long term aspirations to sort out the lop sided nature of the country, as they they would see it as a huge cheque for infrastructure, but new projects are not the same, promising projects are not the same, promising projects is different from reducing the strain on government spending. Change for business, a couple of months ago, there was talk of the boris bounce and growth in the economy could pick up, there was a clear way forward, now we are looking at a danger to small businesses going bust and to jobs being lost zm . The core budget he wanted to deliver has been blown out of the water by the coronavirus and for Small Businesses, the future can wait. It is a Public Health emergency and a life and death situation for Small Businesses and the key is cash. Things like will i have to pay my vat on time . What about my Business Rates bill. What about my Business Rates bill. What about employee s who are getting sick pay from day one, rather than day four. Who will pay fr that . And eking out the cash will be priority noi eking out the cash will be priority no 1 for Small Businesses and they will be looking for things like vat holidays and business rate deferrals, perhaps a hardship fund. Some self employed, they dont count as employees, how will you cater for them . Cash, cash, cash will be the focus or businesses this afternoon. As you said, this budget is taking place against the backdrop roft coronavirus, it is overwhelming everything. Lets get an update on what is happening, with the news that the Health Minister has gone down with it. Hugh pym, what is the latest there . Nadine dorries, we are still waiting for more of a time line and a factual account of what happened. She was at a downing street reception last thursday, hosted by the Prime Minister. It is not clear when she became unwell. By friday, she wasnt feeling well. But what then happened over the weekend in her constituency and so on, it is not clear. Then on monday, she said she was self isolating by then and tested at some stage on tuesday. Clearly, there is a lot of questions that havent been answered there. And in term of Contact Tracing what, Public Health england do is trace people who have been in close contact. That is two metres or less than more than 15 minutes. There could have been a meeting with an official or other ministers, including matt hancock and other meetings around westminster. Only those will be advised by Public Health england to basically report any symptoms, which might lead to self isolation. There is no question of any tests going on across whitehall or westminster at the moment. There is a strict protocol. If you have symptoms and you have beenin if you have symptoms and you have been in contact with someone who tested, you call 11 and maybe self isolate. Tested, you call 11 and maybe selfisolate. It has come to the heart of government, is there any sign yet of government departing from its current strategy, which has been a kind ofstedy as she go of steady as she goes strategy, different from the italian or french, we have seen sporting events cancelled on the continent and watched thousands of people at cheltenham races, is it still the same strategy, or are there signs it will change . As of now, it is the same, it is containment. But we are on the cusp of a change. There is a cobra meeting this afternoon and another one tomorrow, there could be another one tomorrow, there could be a change of mood tomorrow. But i think only flagging up what they might do, what they say is other countries are doing it in their way. Here they want to weigh up the social cost. If you say play every football match behind closed doors, thatis football match behind closed doors, that is a big intervention and if people go to the pub to watch, theyre as vulnerable as they would be at the stadium and once you play that card or close schools, it does didnt appear to have impact and people lose confidence. Theyre weighing up what the best approach is, but it may be that we are not far off is, but it may be that we are not faroffa is, but it may be that we are not far off a move to more substantial interventions. I think there will be guidance this week towards older people, whether they should avoid going out and going into crowded public areas. We will learn more over the next 48 hours. Thank you. Faisal, when you were speaking last week, floating pictures of chancellor and the governor of the bank of england talking, it is a sign of Co Ordination that is going on, before this budget, you talked about the monetary measures, the Interest Rate cut is the most visible, but it may be the least important, tell us about the funding the bank is making available to the banks, hoping it will go to Small Businesses . This is key. Once you get to Interest Rate this low, it is more difficult for the Banking Sector to pass on the cuts. This is about giving the certainty of cash, cash flow, overd rafts from about giving the certainty of cash, cash flow, overdrafts from the Banking Systems into businesses that may have lost customers and suppliers and they staff. This is what we are talking about. The Banking System gets a set of subsidised funding on the condition it goes into the real economy. There isa it goes into the real economy. There is a conditionality attached to it. It was tried after the eu referendum. This version is ear marked for small and medium sized businesses. It is to pass on the rate cut. You have the situation where you have safety buffer funds for banks, they hold back and they have been built up so that the Banking System is padded up. To withstand a stress attack. For a situation like this, they were claiming this for a possibility of no deal brexit. Now theyre deploying this flexibility and padding so that the economy can be supported. But it requires the Banking System to play ball. I think they will. But then it requires individual Bank Managers to talk to individual Bank Managers to talk to individual businesses, we had an example, take the heathrow numbers that showed they were 5 down on passengers, a big company can handle cash flow for a couple of months, but what about second and third tier suppliers . Will they keep on staff . Other interventions have required treasury, the irish treasury is funding sick pay at 300 euros a week. That is a massive cost. We are relying on employers to pay the sick pgy relying on employers to pay the sick pay. The royal bank of scotland, i think we now have to call it natwest. They have changed the name. Nothing to do with the great crash of 2008 theyre talking about deferring mortgage payments and debt servicing as well. That is the kind of thing that will be looking for on a bigger scale to help businesses through this Coronavirus Crisis . Yes it is pre emptive, youre sort of, youre getting this in before the impact hits. Youre trying to provide confidence for the marginal decisions, a Small Business owner, thinking can i keep this person on during the lull. There is no money coming in yes, people are acting more cautiously. The bank of england and the government are trying to inflate a giant set of air bags before we hit a real crash. All of these measures, if you put them together, it is about anticipating the fact this may be serious and officials in some different Government Departments have said to me, theyre calling on a loft Contingency Planning done for the possibility of leaving the eu without a deal. In a sense, some of this is familiar territory for the government of the late. You mean we might get our moneys worth . L government of the late. You mean we might get our moneys worth . A lot was spent on the planning and some of the things that might happen be the things that were planned for already. We have a lot to talk about with our panel. Let me tell you how we are planning the day. We will go to house of commons at noon and take Prime Ministers questions as usual. Then we think that we women come out of go almost straight into the budget. The budget will be, we guess, about an hour long and we will do the post budget analysis through to 3 oclock this afternoon. Plenty of time and plenty to talk about. Lets go to Francis Ogrady of the trade union congress. What are you looking for . You heard us talking about the problems the coronavirus could cause for people, particularly self employed and those in the gig economy and those that dont have major benefits, what would you like to see . We need emergency cash for business but working families as well. The government made a big move in response to trade Union Pressure to introduce sick pay from day one on a temporary basis only, but what we need to do now is make sure that those 2 Million People who dont earn enough to qualify for statutory sick pay dont end up going to work when they shouldnt because they cant afford to stay at home and self isolate. And £94 25 a week is not going to last many people for long when they have bills to pay and families to raise, so we need a serious intervention from the government on this for the sake of Public Health but also to make sure that we keep key parts of the economy running. There are many clea ners economy running. There are many cleaners in the nhs who earn very little pay on outsourced contracts. There are care workers in old peoples homes, particularly vulnerable group, again, on very low pgy vulnerable group, again, on very low pay. They have to have decent sick pay. They have to have decent sick pay that they can do the right thing and follow Government Medical advice. What should the government do for the workers in the gig economy . Well, this is a deeprooted problem. The tuc and other unions have been arguing for years that we need every worker to be entitled guaranteed hours and fair pay for the decentjobs that they do. So this rise of insecure working, including zero hours contracts, is now, i think, including zero hours contracts, is now, ithink, all including zero hours contracts, is now, i think, all because we end up with this two tier workforce. Now, i think, all because we end up with this twotier workforce. We know the problem, the long term problem, but the immediate short term problem, what should the government do . They should be changing peoples rights at work to ensure that everybody has the right to guaranteed hours, notification of shifts, to be treated fairly and decently paid at least the real living wage and we do have the issue of now millions of people who are self employed, many of them by choice, some of them not by choice because employers are putting them on those contracts to strip them of sick pay and holiday rights. But what we do need is a contingency plan from the government to say that they will be able to claim universal credit, is frankly just they will be able to claim universal credit, is franklyjust not real when there is a five week wait to get any money. Ok, you for thank that. Lets go to mike cherry, a lot of his numbers are Small Businesses. I guess it is the Small Businesses, a lot of them are surviving week by week or month by month and when their cash flow dries up or is seriously reduced, they are in trouble. They are indeed and weve already seen costs increasing both with the increase in the National Living wage due to come in next month and increased rents and rates coming through next month and what we have been calling on the government to do is increase in the employers government to do is increase in the e m ploye rs allowa nce government to do is increase in the employers allowance which has already been trailed, the increase from 3000 up to £4000 to help offset some of these costs which is to be very welcome but while statutory sick pay from day one is the right thing to do, its not that long that the smallest businesses one and able to recover statutory sick pay and we have been urgently lobbying the government to try and ensure that that option comes back in and we hope that announcement will be made in the budget even ifjust for a short term measure but one of the big things in, as youve already been hearing, is cash and Business Rates are a regressive, anti growth tax that you pay out before you even open the door, let alone turn over your first a pound or make any profit so to help to alleviate the increase in Business Rates and in deferring the payment of Business Rates would be a major help to Small Businesses along with banks deferring payments on overdrafts and loans, perhaps. Ijust wanted an a nswer to loans, perhaps. Ijust wanted an answer to the question, not a speech, so let me come back to you. Your organisation has got its ear to the ground. Are you already seeing signs of distress amongst Small Businesses as a result of the virus . Not necessarily distress as yet but we are hearing of many businesses where they are having problems with supply chains, so whether it be raw materials, parts coming in to help make what it is they manufacture or provide their customers and in the retail side we already beginning to see the decrease in footfall which is having an impact on turnover, so again, that is becoming apparent and obviously businesses following the advice that the scientists and Health Department is pushing out and we do need to see this cash coming through to businesses very quickly if this does take hold in the next two weeks, as forecast. Thanks for joining us. Simon, what you saw there was from both the tuc and the federation of Small Businesses, using the Coronavirus Crisis to push their own agendas. That is what the chancellor is having to deal with. You had the tuc saying they want to change all the rules a and Small Businesses saying we want Business Rates reformed and so on. Its no secret that Business Rates have been a bugbear. Long before the virus. Long before he was working at the federation for Small Businesses, but they are hoping that if they do is say they can be a business rate holiday and its say they can be a business rate holiday and its complex because a lot of money goes to local authorities on whether this could be the catalyst for change. Let me interrupt you because we have the chancellor coming out of number 11 downing st a little while ago, have we got the video . I should have kept with simon, you see. We interrupted you for no purpose whatsoever. Lets hope the chancellor is more efficient. Going back to the point you make about the banks and getting the money through to Small Businesses, those measures we saw yesterday from the rbs and barclays saying there would be mortgage holidays, that is important because for the self employed, your Household Finances and Business Finances are one in the same thing so individual holidays for consumers could your way of getting to the ha rd to could your way of getting to the hard to reach bits of the economy so the forbearance of the banks are a key pa rt the forbearance of the banks are a key part of how to get some assistance to Small Businesses. But what would you do about those less financially able to deal with shocks . We think of things in terms of Mortgage Rates all the times and it is typically. I now get to interrupt you. At this time for a purpose. There is the chancellor and his team coming out of number 11 downing st, or as some people now call it, ten a downing street, because we always thought that number tens fingerprints are all over this budget, one of the reasons why sajid javid is not holding the box right now. It is not mr gladstones famous red box. That had more wear and tear than it could withstand. A lot on this young mans shoulders. 39 years old, mp for a northern yorkshire rural consistency. He was chief secretary to the treasury under sajid javid for a brief period and here he is, holding up the famous red budget box andi holding up the famous red budget box and i think this budget could be so big he might need a second box to get other measures into it at the moment. But it is a big day for this young chancellor, he has been in situ for less than a month and laura, some thoughts . You have to wonder what is going through his head. Its not just wonder what is going through his head. Its notjust his first day its the first budget since leaning leaving the European Union and the first budget for the government since winning an enormous majority and in either of those regards on their own it would be an enormous day, but now, im thinking of the moment when we saw Alistair Darling come out with his budget box. At the height of the crash . Nobody quite knew what was in there, and there is a sense that everybody hopes the impact of coronavirus will be temporary but there is this great sense of uncertainty and just in terms of the spreadsheets produced by the office for budget responsibility, they are all com pletely responsibility, they are all completely utterly out of date and its a reminder of how the Political Landscape might be changed by this for a long, long time, and as you say, a brand new chancellor, well rated, background in finance, worked his way up, but what a step up. My goodness. Well with these words probably ringing in his ears, there is no pressure on him whatsoever. Lets go over to College Green and vicki young. As you are saying, a chancellor that we did not expect to be dealing with a Public Health crisis, we didnt expect him having to come up with solutions and in the longer term he cannot let go of that because he has some very ambitious plans and we can discuss this more as we are joined by two mps. First floor, levelling up was the result of the election and people voting for the tories and in some cases for the first time. What is rishi sunak going to have to do to encourage those people to vote conservative ain . Those people to vote conservative again . I think its good to have a yorkshire mp to deliver a budget and what better place or person, but this is about opportunity being spread through the uk and we know that talent is evenly spread but people in the north particularly, i would say, are not given the opportunities that some people in the south and south east have so spending more money on transport infrastructure ads also about better deals for local services and we hope that these will be in the budget today. And presumably that is something labour can get behind . am still sick of these slogans that do not end up meaning anything and we saw with hsz, those great big train that tory mp shout about from the dispatch box dont get us far but when it comes to giving opportunity to people who have not have it, the consequences of ten years of tory government are all around us. They just years of tory government are all around us. Theyjust need to go into their town centre, they go into birkenhead and they see the consequences of tory government all around us. That is the test for the chancellor today. Well what he announces shut down the food banks we have everywhere . Announces shut down the food banks we have everywhere . Well what he announces stop the rough sleeping thatis announces stop the rough sleeping that is caused by the support for people with addictions being removed. He can open as many trend lines as he can but people want action to change the economy now train lines. We have the northern powerhouse, where is that . This is just another empty sound bite. We are talking about billions of investment that is building roads, rail, the rest of it, but day to day spending isa rail, the rest of it, but day to day spending is a different issue, those cuts to councils and other sectors as well. Will he do anything about that . Alison talks about slogans, but get brexit done is something we did and levelling up doesnt mean something. She says what is happen to the northern powerhouse, if you look at the budget today i am confident we will be talking about half £i trillion of Infrastructure Spending. What about daytoday spending. What about daytoday spending christmas we have to be fiscally conservative about using we have to be fiscally conservative about using taxpayers money but people on the lowest incomes need to get more of what they are earning and that is absolutely the right thing to do. The tories tax cuts are the benefit of the rich. The top 1 is paying a higher proportion of tax than at any time under your labour administration. But the point is, actually, if you look at the consequences of the past ten years of glory tory government by their own standards, ticket prices up by 42 on trains while they have held down the fuel tax that benefits people who drive big cars. Look at what happened with crossrail being built for london rather than infrastructure in the north. They could have started big Railway Infrastructure projects in the north ten years ago and theyve chosen not to. The ones they did do, in manchester, the project went really badly and we had rail delays for years and years. Would you approve a more borrowing for day to day spending . We will end up with more day to day spending because of coronavirus and the failure of the tory government. You talk about councils and what they are having to deal with. Those cuts have been totally ineffective because they have because so many problems. What i would say is we need a proper plan that responds to the crisis we are in now, that says the economy is going to change because of brexit and other things, so how do we fight coronavirus economically and make sure people can get through financially as well as setting in train something in the medium term that will balance the economy. Some of your colleagues are worried about too much borrowing for the spend. My collea g u es too much borrowing for the spend. My colleagues are comfortable if the borrowing is for recurrent spending. Alison is choosing to make this party political. Levelling up should not be party political. It has been decades of underinvestment in the region, labour and conservative governments, and we should move forward and improve everybodys in prospects where ever they are in the uk. We will leave it there but this debate will go on and on. Thank you very much indeed and we will see what the chancellor has in store very what the chancellor has in store very soon. What the chancellor has in store very soon. Thanks, and you can see the debate about the budgets are already under way even though we havent had it. About 45 minutes away. Lets go to simon mccoy, who is in wakefield. Im at the trinity walk shopping centre. What do people want . It is cash and more power locally. Ive four people to talk about the issues. One from citizens advice and a local business and a managing director at a local business and pa rt director at a local business and part of the northern power House Partnership and the founder of icw, a window manufacturer. I will be with you in a moment, margaret, ceilidh, the budget, everyone is waiting for the chancellor, i suspect your phones are already ringing, because of coronavirus . We have seen three times as many to our sick pay on our web site. People are worried about covering the cost if they need to several isolate. What we wa nt they need to several isolate. What we want is to make sure people dont face that impossible choice of having to stay at work to pay their bills, or follow the advice and self isolate. Bills, or follow the advice and selfisolate. We have had the Interest Rate cut, it is about cash flow is it . Yes, this is welcome news, we need to think about individuals as well. So cash flow for individuals involves access to sick pay and there are five million self employed people who cant get and people who dont earn enough to get it. We want to see the government widening the pool of people who can get it and support businesses to cover the cost. You work from home, so that is not an issue, but once events get cancelled, that will be a problem . Were seeing what is happening at the moment and we will be working as long as we can do up until the summerand long as we can do up until the summer and working as normal. Youre working with a lot of parents, what is their concern . In terms of coronavirus, it is everyone is working as normal at the moment. I think there are some concerns of what happens when children are at home and you are trying to look after children, plus work from home, for say 14 days, of self isolation when you have children climbing the walls. In terms of what the chancellor might announce, what are you hoping for . From a business perspective, we are hoping he will make some concessions in terms of vat or Business Rates, to help businesses work through the period. Margaret, you have a more immediate problem, your supplier is from. . We have components parts from italy, just outside milan, we cant get them at the moment. What is the situation now . It is not too bad. We have had to look at resourcing that and a lot of our customers are looking to do that back into the uk that, could be an opportunity, particularly for the supply chain, because our customers are nationwide and have been hit by the supply chain as well. So it is just. Dealing with this as we go along and hopefully the government will recognise the impact of coronavirus, which is happening already, particularly with the bank of england and we get that investment to reassure people, because this is about homes and communities and most importantly it is about people and people having that income. What will people having that income. What will people be looking for from chancellor in term of cash . In terms of specifically, in terms of what, we talked about people and the systems generally need to know they have certainty about how theyre going to work through this. Businesses and margaret makes an important point, there is a full supply chain of companies that are connected and in terms of hue we wa nt connected and in terms of hue we want to keep productivity going through covid 19, the cash concessions through tax or vat to help all the supply chain manage us through that. What about the issues of Corporation Tax, Business Rates, are these things that you are hoping are these things that you are hoping are addressed . Yes, we are on the high street and all the businesses here are hoping that we do have people stopping, how they will work through that period and the reductions will be important. through that period and the reductions will be important. I was talking to a business leader, who said shoplifting is a big problem and there are not the police and there are wider issues affecting the high street. If you look at life, it is neverjust one thing. If we think about the 2. 7 Million People we help at sid zens advice, people come citizens advice, people come about all sorts of things like their gas bill or getting Financial Support and problems on the high street. People are day to day facing severe challenges already, even before we look at the impact of coronavirus. Vicky, on any normal day, we would be talking about issues like hs2. Will that make a big difference to wakefield . Personally, h52 for wakefield . Personally, h52 for wakefield no, if it does the, the second part, it will benefit leeds. But wakefield has a quick train route down to london already. So wakefield people would have to travel to leeds to get on hs2. So we are going back on ourselves. Youre nodding. Probably a different opinion. I think hsz is a once in a generation opportunity, but what is also important is the commitment to look at high speed north and the connectivity across the cities from liverpool to newcastle and connect the cities up to scotland and down to the midlands and london. the cities up to scotland and down to the midlands and london. I have got to leave it there. We will talk later. A mixed view. But as with every where else, the priority is how to deal with this crisis over coronavirus. Back to you. Thank you for that. We are getting reports that the treasury was deep cleaned overnight before the budget. You may think that happens all the time, but it doesnt. An officials partner tested positive for the coronavirus, but the official themselves doesnt have the virus, but is self isolated. Officials have been told they can work from home, that means theyre home now watching us. So hello, treasury officials. We are talk to talk aboutjohnsing economics. Johnson economics, talk to talk aboutjohnsing economics. Johnson economics, is there such a thing. Billions of pound, £2 billion more. 3. 6 billion. We wa nt pound, £2 billion more. 3. 6 billion. We want to turbo charge. Boris johnson says he wants to turbo charge the economy, but when it comes to the detail of what that all means, we still have much to learn. Which begs the question means, we still have much to learn. Which begs the question what is johnson economics. Johnson economics. Did i get that wrong . Early indications are this a Prime Minister ready to spend. Boosting. On the nhs and police and tra nsportnd infrastructure. Boosting. On the nhs and police and transportnd infrastructure. Now he wants to enhance his reputation as boris the builder. Behold this brick. And there is a new catch phrase. We need to level up. Level up. Levelling up. Levelling up means that everything feels they benefit from the economic boom that they feel left them untouched. It is not just spreading the wealth and not through the tax system. But spreading opportunity and the sense of ambition. He told the cabinet he sees himself as a brexit hezza. Following the foot step of the man who believed in state intervention to revive regions like liverpool, inspired by the one nation conservatism. It is not throwing money at the problem. I want to know how he intends to do it. He loves things that are lasting and that transform lives and cost a lot, but theyre an invest the cabinet has given High Speed Rail the green signal. The slogans of politicians in elections are a long way from the reality of what you have to do if youre going to govern a country in a one nation context. Would you welcome a phone call from him . Lets live in the real world the more the Prime Minister wishes to level up, the more he will have to level up, the more he will have to spend. So will he relax the fiscal rules. Borrowing is cheap and i think Boris Johnson fiscal rules. Borrowing is cheap and i think borisjohnson would be aware that now is as good a time to borrow if youre using the money to invest. The indications are it will be a borrowing government. Im a sceptic, as someone who says you with borrow your way out trouble. My advisor trying to avoid my eye. Boris johnson is a journalist and a politician and a classicist, not a financial expert. He is keen to actually listen to advice. What are the experts likely to advice him him . He advocates low taxation, but not above Everything Else. He thinks the state should take as lit of an individuals money as possible. But he has to counter with that with the desire to spend. So johnson economics. What is the verdict . Smiechlt so far it has been a general election strategy. We see a massive commitment to spend more, and a considerable concentration of that money on the north. and a considerable concentration of that money on the north. I dont think it is possible to define johnson economics yet. If we look at Margaret Thatcherism, that evolved over her time in office. It is a curious, but fascinating combination of thatcherite good House Keeping with keynesian ambitions to spend things only governments can do. There you are. The sun reports that fuel duty will be frozen for the tenth year in a row. It is notjust reporting that, it is crowing it. I guess the sun wouldnt report it if it didnt think it had won that. Johnson economics, was talked about in terms of infrastructure, of course that is part of it. But i would say there is another part too, which wasnt covered, which i would call a blue collar conservativism and prioritising taking people out of National Insurance, rather than cutting the marginal rate income taxes of high earners and rises in the minimum wage, rather than balancing current spending. That is just as important to this project as investment . Yes aside from the economic detail, there is a political ambition that Boris Johnson holds to change the political map. Either bring back conservative voters who may have voted for Margaret Thatcher, but fell away, that working class. Essex man it was called. He wants essex man it was called. He wants essex man it was called. He wants essex man and northumberland man. And even the odd woman. Well there isa gendergap. And even the odd woman. Well there is a gender gap. But he wants to create a sense where people who voted tory for the first time, or maybe for the first time in a long time, feel they have got something to show for it in their pocket and from what they can see in their town ortheir from what they can see in their town or their city by the time of the next general election. I think it was interesting that there wasnt agreement on what johnson economics would be, that is two things. Firstly it is too early to say and it is not ideological. He is not an ideological signed of politician. covered the first Margaret Thatcher budget on a programme called nationwide with sue lawley. No one talked about thatcherism. What i suggest is that business cannot be sure that in every area this is the kind of probusiness tory government it may have expected. kind of probusiness tory government it may have expected. I think that is an understatement. Im famous for that. The relationship between the government and business has been different than during the heseltine and the Margaret Thatcher years. There is a suspicion in some parts of government of the corporatist nation of business and it is not, the benefits of ten year expansion we have seen have been unevenly shared out and therefore the free Market Economics with little state intervention, that model has gone out of window and it is a different relationship. I was speaking to some Business Leaders and what theyre hoping is this coronavirus situation, which is dominating the headlines and the budge elt, will be a moment for working groups to get together and experts to get back involved, despite what michael gove said, an opportunity to say, we know how to help you fix this, bring us back inside the tents, a tent they felt outside for a long time. The other thing, for almost ten years, budgets have been dominated by borrowing, debt and the deficit and the need to get that down. That is almost going out of the window now i would suggest. That the size of deficit no longer seems to be so important. The Financial Times today, a treasury briefing saying the latest thinking will reflect the latest international thinking. The imf and the oecd and others are saying that a time of very ultralow Interest Rates, deficits dont matter as much. The presumption is they will stay low. They have been low for some time. So that is a big call. We dont want to think about if that call is wrong. Lets assume it is right. The plan, and it is big, infrastructure, you have got to find what levelling up means. They dont want to define it. The chancellor said it was a feeling that things were not going right for your region. But does it mean levelling up incomes . Or levelling up levelling up incomes . Or levelling up Public Investment . A bit. If they we re up Public Investment . A bit. If they were to use the definition of levelling up, a per capita definition and apply to that transport, youre talking of 40 billion and a lot for the midlands and the south west. Are we saying, it is profound, that london has got too much investment . We have to go over to the commons for Prime Ministers questions. Mr speaker, we need to build more homes on brownfield sites, but we also need to make sure that the houses we have got are of a decent standard. In an estate across my birmingham constituency, kings norton, willie castle, we need to make sure that those estates have decent homes, so does the Prime Minister agreed with me that by improving homes it would level up the economy and deliver for working class like mine . Level up the economy and deliver for workingclass like mine . My honourable friend is spot on and he shall be hearing more about that in half an hours time, but hes right we should be building on brownfield sites and building the Beautiful Homes that people actually want. Mr speaker, our thoughts are with the loved ones of those who have sadly died after contracting the coronavirus and those who are still suffering from the disease, including the honourable memberfor mid bedfordshire. Iwant including the honourable memberfor mid bedfordshire. I want once again to pay tribute to our medical staff who are working so hard to combat the spread of this disease and care for those affected. And i think we should all express our gratitude to the chief medical officer and the chief scientific advisor who have shown Exceptional Leadership throughout and we will continue to follow their advice. Sunday was international womens day, a day when we celebrate the achievement of women around the world and recognises the advances made in working towards a goal of gender equality and most importantly reflects on how far we have to go to achieve that. A quarter of social ca re achieve that. A quarter of social care workers who are overwhelmingly women are on zero hours contracts and it is important that care workers self isolate if they experience symptoms of coronavirus but many might feel they have no choice but to continue working. Will the Prime Minister finally choice but to continue working. Will the Prime Ministerfinally bringing emergency legislation to guarantee sick pay a 40 hours workers to help contain the spread of the virus . For workers on zero hours contracts. I know the house will wish to join the honourable gentleman in wishing my honourable friend the minister for Mental Health a speedy recovery andi for Mental Health a speedy recovery and i know that having talked to her, i know she will make one, and i know a letter has been issued to eve ryo ne a cross know a letter has been issued to everyone across the parliamentary estate and as you say, we will be guided by Public Health england in our response to this situation, and they are also providing guidance to honourable members and to their offices. And as the right honourable gentleman knows, in just offices. And as the right honourable gentleman knows, injust a offices. And as the right honourable gentleman knows, in just a few minutes we will be hearing from my right honourable friend the chancellor about what measures we are taking to protect everyone and as he knows, we have already brought forward statutory sick pay to day one, but for those on all types of contracts one, but for those on all types of co ntra cts we one, but for those on all types of contracts we will ensure that they will get the protection that they need and nobody who does the right thing by staying at home is penalised. I hope that legislation comes rapidly and it does guarantee that people dont have to make a choice between spreading the virus because they have to go to work or staying at home and self isolating as they should do if they have the symptoms. Can the Prime Minister explain why according to a report by the institute of Health Equity Life Expectancy has gone down for the poorest women in our society . Overall Life Expectancy stands at its highest level, but i. And its tribute to the consistent work of this government and others but its absolutely true there are too many insta nces absolutely true there are too many instances into many parts of the country where we are seeing a Life Expectancy rising in the way we would not like, and its true there are would not like, and its true there a re parts of would not like, and its true there are parts of this country where one in 50 pregnant women are smokers and there are parts of the country where only one in four pregnant women are smokers and what we want to see is a uniting and levelling up across this whole country. That is why we are putting record songs, £i2 whole country. That is why we are putting record songs, £12 billion, into Public Health and that is why this is the party of the nhs that is now putting record investment into our nhs precisely for that purpose. I dont think the Prime Minister a nswered i dont think the Prime Minister answered my question. And its no surprise that Life Expectancy has gone down when 86 of the cuts made by successive tory governments have landed disproportionally on the shoulders of women. We are one of the richest countries in the world and it is mind boggling that Life Expectancy should be falling in this country. For the poorest poor people in our society, Life Expectancy is falling. The government should have an answer to that. Mr speaker, the Prime Minister supports the absolutely horrendous rape clause in the Child Tax Credit rules. Why does he think it is right that 200 mothers have to prove to the government that their child was conceived as a result of being raped so they can keep their Child Tax Credit . Mr speaker, iwant so they can keep their Child Tax Credit . Mr speaker, i want to correct the point he has just made, it is im afraid the case, as has been revealed in the last few days that mortality is at its lowest level in this country since 2001. And on his point about the recipients of the benefit, it is obvious that he draws attention to the injustice and we will do everything we can to rectify it. What i would hope that means the Prime Minister will introduce regulations to end the two child policy the benefit strategy because thatis policy the benefit strategy because that is exactly what when victims of rape have to prove they have been raped in order to get benefits for their child. 50 years ago, the labour minister barbara castle introduce the equal pay act, but women are still paid 17 less than men and under this government the gender pay gap is estimated to take another 60 years to close. Why hasnt the Prime Minister followed labours lead and set a target for closing it by 2030 . Not only are there now Record Numbers of women in employment in this country, but the gender pay gap is at a record low. And it was this conservative government that made sure that companies had to report on the gender pay gap. A 17 gap, it is too big, too wide and should be closed and the government should do something about it. Mr speaker, every fortnight, three women are killed by their partner or ex partner. Domestic violence is only likely to increase of large numbers of people are having to self isolate. Ten years of austerity has denied councils the funding they need to support victims of Domestic Abuse. Will he commit to the extra 173 million needed every year to ensure that survivors get the support they so desperately need . We have just put record funding back into councils to support them in all of their responsibilities and we are committed, and when he talks of Domestic Abuse, we have committed to bringing forward a victims law to guarantee victims rights and this government has an outstanding record of tackling violence against women and girls, and that is why we are taking forward in this parliament our landmark Domestic Abuse bill. Without funding the bill will simply bea without funding the bill will simply be a piece of paper, there has to be funding to ensure that those who are victims of Domestic Violence get the support they need in the centres they need that are underfunded by his government. The Prime Minister has made repeated offensive remarks against single mothers and their children. Yes. And he described them as ill raised, ignorant, aggressive and illegitimate. Against muslim women saying they look like bank robbers. Against working women, suggesting the best way of dealing with advice from a female colleague is just to pat her on the bottom and send her on her way. Words have consequences. His offensive words are backed up with offensive and discriminatory policies from the rape clause two dismantling local services which women, particularly disabled and bame women disproportionally rely on. Can the Prime Minister apologised for his offensive comments and ensure that these discriminatory policies are reversed by his government . Mr speaker, i am reversed by his government . Mr speaker, iam proud reversed by his government . Mr speaker, i am proud of what this government has done to promote the rights of women and i am proud we have a Record Number of female mps in our party today. I am proud that this is the only party that has produced two female, not one, two female Prime Ministers. Wouldnt it be an extraordinary and amazing thing if that party were to produce a female leader of their own . Dont hold your breath. And i will take no lessons in sexism from a party where good women, good female mps are bullied out of their party. Just because theyve had the guts to stand up against the climate of anti semitism in the labour party. My anti semitism in the labour party. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister i know is a great champion of the countryside and farming and the great benefit has in producing high Animal Welfare food and the amount of carbon that is held in the soil and amount of carbon that is held in the soiland in our amount of carbon that is held in the soil and in our manifesto we stated on page 57 that in our trade negotiations we will not compromise our high Environmental Protection and Animal Welfare and food standards. Will the Prime Minister meet with me and other colleagues in rural farming constituencies to discuss how to support farmers and growers in trade deals to provide more opportunities to produce even more opportunities to produce even more food and high Animal Welfare. My more food and high Animal Welfare. My honourable friend is right. We will not compromise on Animal Welfare or food standards and hygiene. Im only too happy to meet him and his fellow farmers to discuss the opportunities ahead. Thank you, mr speaker. As the numbers infected by the coronavirus grows the level of public concern naturally grows with this. Last week the Prime Minister gave a firm reassurance that no one would be financially penalised for following health advice. And yet, still millions of self employed workers have been left in deep uncertainty as to what financial help they will be given if they are forced to stop working. In this house, mr speaker, we are in a privileged position. We will not be financially worse off. Millions of workers are not in that privileged position. They may be forced to rely on Social Security forced to rely on Social Security foran forced to rely on Social Security for an extended period because of this virus. So, for the record, can the Prime Minister tell me what the statutory sick pay rate is in ireland compared to his uk government . Mr speaker, its not my duty to comment on the pay rates of other countries but what i can tell the honourable member, which he knows very well, that we are under this government have already advanced statutory sick pay to day one and we will make sure that those one and we will make sure that those on universal credit and other benefits will make sure they get them from day one and if he can contain his impatience for a moment, the chancellor will tell him what we will be doing to protect everybody in this society make sure they are not penalised for doing the right thing. Let me try and help the Prime Minister. And perhaps inform him of the detail. In ireland, in response to the coronavirus, the government has just raised their statutory sick pay to the equivalent of £266 per week. This covers those employed and those in self employment. In germany and austria, it is £287. In sweden, it is 230. In the netherlands, 201 and in spain121. It is 230. In the netherlands, 201 and in spain 121. Where as in the uk, Prime Minister it is a meagre £94. 25. Prime minister, up to 80 of people across the uk could face infection in the weeks and months ahead and many of them will be forced to rely on statutory sick pgy forced to rely on statutory sick pay. If the Prime Minister is truly committed to levelling up, a good place to start must be statutory sick pay. Will he take the opportunity to stand up to and commit to raising the uk payment to the average eu level . As i think most members of the house understand, the uk is distinct from many other countries around the world and certainly the eu and we have a universal free Health System, free at the point of delivery, we have an extensive benefit system free for people across this country and our Health System is very well managed and very well prepared for this academic and i congratulate eve ryo ne this academic and i congratulate everyone in the nhs for making the preparations that they have prepared for this epidemic. I visited burnley hospital to see a demonstration of an advanced surgical robot, that is a leap forward in health provision, does the Prime Minister agree that technological advances in the nhs is paramount to provide the best care and will he work to keep burnley at the cutting edge of the revolution . Yes, that is why my right honourable friend the Health Secretary and are are determined to advance Robot Technology in the nhs and have put in 200 billion and in his area, it is receiving over £500 more, an increase of 5 . A month ago i asked the Prime Minister about his plans to tackle the crisis in recruiting overseas consult ants to work in the nhs, the Prime Minister claimed it is devolved when it is an issue for the home office. Can the Prime Minister today confirm exactly what steps he is taking to ensure that overseas consultants will apply for visas. I cant remember what i said last time, we have introduced a fast track nhs visa. Question no 7 on war widows. Mr speaker my right honourable friend has made this point and honourable friend has made this pointandi honourable friend has made this point and i heard from the war widows about their concerns. The ministry of defence is looking at what can be done to provide meaningful support to those who have lost their loved ones. Given that the previous defence secondary sought and was refused permission from the treasury, to help the estimated 265 war widows whose pensions were cancelled when they remarried and can be permanently restored only by their going through a divorce and remarriage to their second husband, will the Prime Minister personally meet moira kane and Mary Moreland to put an end to this deplorable and dishonourable situation . Mr speaker, the mod is looking at this very problem and im conscious of the the issue that he raises has been raised with me and i have asked my right honourable friend the secretary of state for defence to meet the chairman of War Widows Association to discuss what we can do. Mr speaker, last week the actor riz ahead released an album and film the long goodbye about the heartbreak of british minorities, where hate crime is rising. These are the concerns of muslims in my constituency. I urge members of the house to watch it. Could the Prime Ministerand house to watch it. Could the Prime Minister and for once without hiding behind the robes of his muslim ancestors or the fig leaf that his ex chancellor and the cabinet provided him or resorting to the tit for tat deflection of the serious issue that is anti semitism, 300 complaints of islamophobia in his party, can he assure me what he is doing to assure british muslims that their Prime Minister is not an islam phone . There is no room for hatred or racism in our party. I wish i could say the same for her party. What about the news that he and carrie are expecting their first child. All parents want the best start in life for their children w the uk lagging behind the rest of the uk lagging behind the rest of the world, in the number of diseases that we test, genetic test, we only test for nine conditions, do you agree with me and will you support my Campaign Calling for a review of the new born baby Screening Programme . She raises an important point and programme . She raises an important pointand im programme . She raises an important point and im glad this screening for babies with will be evaluated for babies with will be evaluated for inclusion in screening, but the Health Secretary said he is willing to meet her to discuss further what screening, how screening could be improved. Further to the questions posed by my right honourable friend of the snp, policy in this country is his responsibility, so what is h egoing to do to help the self employed in the Coronavirus Crisis . Im gratefulto self employed in the Coronavirus Crisis . Im grateful to the honourable gentleman and what we are going to do is ensure nobody is penalised for doing the right thing. Everybody has access to the benefits and the support they need and if he will contain himself, the chancellor will contain himself, the chancellor will be setting out more in just a minute. Will the Prime Ministerjoin with me in congratulating the mighty loughborough swim team for their five gold medal haul last month. The swimmerses are the epicentre of sporting excellence. Having worked with luff oughborough youth on the olympics, i know their reputation andi olympics, i know their reputation and i have no hesitation in congratulating loughborough swimming tea m congratulating loughborough Swimming Team on her behalf. Can the Prime Minister explain to me why he is so unpopular in scotland, he has lost half the scottish mps. Support for independence is at an all time high. Is it because he thinks he can say no toa is it because he thinks he can say no to a nation, or because the blustering buffooneryjars with the scottish people . I notice that support for breaking up the union is declining actually in scotland. Maybe that is because they have a Scottish Nationalist Party in charge that has the highest taxes anywhere in the United Kingdom and is failing scottish children in their schools and that is not running the Scottish Health service in the way that it should and maybe his bluff and bluster is covering up for the abject failures of snp government. And maybe the snp should stick to the dayjob. And maybe the snp should stick to the day job. As the country that brought railways to the world, what plans does my right honourable friend have to celebrate their 120th birthday and he does he stand with the people in darlington to re vent the people in darlington to re vent the removal of locomotive no 1. The people in darlington to re vent the removal of locomotive no i. congratulate my honourable friend and the people of darlington for the role they have played in our Railway History and i will do what i can to support his campaign to prevent darlington to be despoiled of that iconic locomotive no 1. Before christmas, Luton Food Bank issued 339 food parcels. Child poverty in luton has risen to a shameful 46 . So while lutons Unemployment Rate may be going down, more people are in low paid, insecure jobs. Would the Prime Minister agree it is u na cce pta ble the Prime Minister agree it is unacceptable that families are in work, but children are growing up in poverty and will he commit to ending poverty and will he commit to ending poverty pay . Well not only are we Cutting National Insurance contributions for everybody, whatever their pay, but of course we are also lifting up the National Living wage by the biggest ever increase, which will benefit people across the country to the tune of £4,000 a year. This is a one nation government looking at the needs of the poorest families in this country. My right honourable friend makes the case for birmingham, but in the West Midlands over 31,000 new homes have been built since we had a new mayor, slashing his target of 25,000. The majority have been built in brownfield sites. Will the Prime Minister support me to ensure we keep the focus on the regeneration of brownfield sites . keep the focus on the regeneration of brownfield sites . I congratulate andy street on what he is doing and his record, it is always the conservatives who build the homes and this house will be hearing more injusta and this house will be hearing more injust a few and this house will be hearing more in just a few minutes about what we intend to do to give everybody, every young person, the chance to own their own home. In this current Financial Year, this government has redistributed funding meant for veterans charities. This has resulted in severely reduced service by combat stress, a renowned Mental Health charity serving veterans suffering from post Traumatic Stress disorder. It has meant a reduction of 24 to 10 beds in our residential unit in my constituency and the loss of 50 jobs. Will the Prime Minister show his support fort veterans by initiating a review of this redistribution of this critical funding to stop those lives changing and Life Saving Services being lost . The honourable gentleman is right to raise the issue of veterans and their needs and that is why this government appointed a minister for vetera ns government appointed a minister for veterans and a task force, a special unitand he veterans and a task force, a special unit and he will be hearing more in just a few minutes about what steps we intend to take to protect and promote the rights of veterans. Would my right honourable friend agree this budget is a historic moment to level up our economy and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed. Especially in stoke on trent . Opportunity to succeed. Especially in stokeontrent . Mr speaker, stoke on trent is the crucible in which the future of this country is going to be forged and could not have a more valiant advocate and i agree with what he said. It is vital that the funds announced today are distributed effectively to the businesses and self employed people affected by coronavirus. But the banks must fulfil their responsibilities as well. Businesses are telling me that some banks are shoring up their Balance Sheets at the expense of their business customers and their work worse. So will the Prime Minister make sure that banks which were bailed out be i the taxpayer now play their part in supporting businesses and their workers in their hour of need . Well, the honourable gentleman raises an important point and he will have seen what the governor of the bank of england has done to the cost of borrowing today, but the chancellor will indeed be meeting the banks to ensure that they look after the interests of all our people. Rural areas like my constituency are at the bottom of the tile with broadband and mobile phone signals. Can my honourable friend confirm the deal with mo bile phone providers will boost this across the country. Yes and she will hear something to her advantage in a few minutes. This morning a range of expert Mental Health organisations, including the Royal College of psychiatrists have called for an inquiry into failures in the Social Security system. A family in my constituency lost their husband and father to suicide in similar circumstances and they want answers. So when will the Prime Minister enstrubgt such an inquiry instruct such an inquiry to listen to those families and the experts . There are some hard cases and some very tragic outcomes. I know the secretary of state for woushg work and pensions is looking at that and im happy to work with the honourable gentleman to make sure such tragic cases, the familys needs are met. Over the past five years, salaries in dudley have risen faster than anywhere. Will the Prime Minister work with andy street to ensure the West Midlands continues to get the investment in skills and infrastructure it needs to power the Midlands Energy . I dont think i can be accused of anticipating the budget, when i say there will be a infrastructure rove luges infrastructure rove luges infrastructure revolution in is in country that will benefit the West Midlands. Statutory sick pay is among the lowest in europe and less than £95 a week, if the Prime Minister doesnt think he would live on it he shouldnt expect our constituents to live on its. I urge him to introduce decent sick pay. I answer the honourable gentleman earlier on and i will make sure that people will be protected through this outbreak and no one is penalised for doing the right thing. Can the Prime Minister agree with me that the great southwest offers a fantastic opportunity to become the first region to notjust become a net zero, but net negative, and can he assure me this will be a top priority in the levelling up agenda . There are already 400,000 jobs in the economy in this country. And this country will play a leading role in the green revolution of the future. A limited company in my constituency is working in partnership with Lockheed Martin to build a sustainable space economy in shetland. Can the Prime Minister give me assurance that the very welcome Government Support for the space industry will be allowed to follow what is the best commercial and technical options and that Companies Like Lockheed Martin are the people best placed to make these judgments . Mr speaker, we will of course be guided by the best scientificjudgments in all of these things and i can confirm it is our Firm Determination to have a second spaceport in scotland and we are looking for candidates to send into orbit, mr speaker. Today is the 15th annual day in memory of victims of terrorism across europe. Next week my constituency will commemorate the 27th anniversary of the ira terrorist attack in my town which killed two children. Over the last quarter of a century of the peace foundation, based in warrington, has worked tirelessly to provide the National Support service for victims of terrorism in great britain. Will the Prime Ministerjoin with me in commending their work and ensuring that their funding continues . certainly commend the work of all those who work in the warrington peace centre and we will certainly do everything we can to ensure that the funding continues. do everything we can to ensure that the funding continues. I associate my party with the good wishes for the honourable member for mid bedfordshire and indeed anyone who has contracted the coronavirus, and on coronavirus, can i welcome the fa ct on coronavirus, can i welcome the fact that the government is listening to experts. But mr speaker, given the nhs has to face the coronavirus challenge with a record shortage of nurses and care sector with over 120,000 record shortage of nurses and care sector with over 120 , 000 vacancies, does the Prime Minister not agree that the three conservative government since 2015 should have fixed the roof when the sun was shining . Well, i seem to think he was in that government, but leaving that point on one side, there are now actually a Record Number of doctors and nurses in our fantastic nhs. There are 8700 more nurses this year than last year, and we are recruiting another 50,000 more and he will be hearing more about what we are doing to support the nhs in just a minute. We now come to a presentation of bill. That brings us to the end of Prime Ministers questions and we will move onto the budget now. The chancellor was sitting the Prime Minister throughout, and there was a little technical change that takes place on the floor of the commons. The speaker stands down because for the hearing of a budget the whole chamber becomes a sort of finance committee, known as the committee of ways and means and that is chaired by eleanor laing, the first ever female chair of the committee of ways and means, and she is now in situ and it has been a seamless change as Lindsay Hoyle used to be the chair of the committee and were used to see him chair the budget meetings, so in a moment we will hear from the chancellor. It looks like a hear from the chancellor. It looks likea number of hear from the chancellor. It looks like a number of references were made by the Prime Minister is a budget coming up, including an interesting one we can expect to hear a lot about housing and we havent heard too much about that in the run up to the budget and there might be more planning laws change to allow more building to take place. The Prime Minister also boasted that this would be the infrastructure government, but weve heard that before as well. We now expect to get some of the details at least in this budget. Not all, because there is another budget coming, but lets stick with this one. The chancellor of the exchequer. Madam Deputy Speaker. I want to get straight to the issue most on everybodys mind, coronavirus covid 19. I know how worried people are, about their health, their loved ones, theirjobs, their income, their businesses, their Financial Security. And i know they get even more worried when they turn on their tvs and hear talk of markets collapsing and difficult times coming. People want to know what is happening and what can be done to fix it. What Everyone Needs to know is that we are doing everything we can to keep this country and our people healthy and financially secure. We are clear that this is an issue above party. We will do right by you and your family issue above party. We will do right by you and yourfamily and i know i will have the support of the whole house as i say that. This house has a lwa ys house as i say that. This house has always stood ready to come together, put aside Party Politics and act in the national interest. We have done so before and i know we will do so again. My right honourable friend, the Prime Minister, alongside officials and scientists is leading the work on the Public Health response. Today, iwant the work on the Public Health response. Today, i want to set out our economic response so we bring stability and security. Let me say this. We will get through this together. The british people may be worried but they are not daunted. We will protect our country and our people. We will rise to this challenge. But let me also say, yes, this virus is the key challenge facing our country today. But it is not the only challenge. We have just had an election where people voted for change. Change in our economy, changing our Public Services, change in the cost of living, change in our economic geography. This budget delivers on that change. Yes, as we deal with coronavirus it is a budget that provides for security today, but it is also a plan for prosperity tomorrow. It is a budget that delivers on our promises to the british people and the budget of a government that gets things done. Madam Deputy Speaker, before i set out the details of our plan, let me first thank members who have contributed to the discussions on how to respond to coronavirus. Members from both sides of this house. Our economy is robust, our public finances are sound. Our public finances are sound. Our Public Services are well prepared. My Public Services are well prepared. My right honourable friend the Health Secretary is working around the clock to protect the Public Health. And i will do whatever it ta kes to health. And i will do whatever it takes to support the economy. First, let me explain the nature of the economic challenge and my overall strategy. The challenges this. There is likely to be a temporary disruption to our economy. On the supply side, up to one fifth of the working age population could need to be off the work off work at any one time and business supply chains are being disrupted around the globe. This combination of people being unable to work and businesses being unable to work and businesses being unable to access goods will mean that for a period our productive capacity will shrink. There will also be an impact on the demand side of the economy through a reduction in consumer spending. The combination of those effects will have a Significant Impact on the uk economy. But it will be temporary. People will return to work. Supply chains will return to normal. Life will return to normal. For a period, its going to be tough. But im confident that our Economic Performance will recover. So, given this analysis of the situation, let me set out our strategy to deal with it. We cant avoid a fall in demand because the primary driver of that reduction in consumption, the primary reason people are not spending as normal is because they are following Doctors Orders to stay at home, so the right immediate policy response is to provide security and support for those who get sick or cannot work. That is through funding our Public Services and a strengthened safety net. And on the supply side, the right response is to provide a bridge for businesses, to ensure that what is a temporary impact on our productive capacity does not become permanent. In other words, our response will be temporary, timely and targeted. This is the right response and that the right time. That response is clearly and closely coordinated with the bank of england. The governor and i have been in constant communication about the involvement evolving situation and our responses have been carefully designed to be commentary and to have maximum impact, consistent with our independent responsibilities. The governor set out this morning the actions that the bank will take to help uk businesses and households bridge across the likely economic disruption. A 50 basis point reduction to increase cash flow and competence. The destruction insta nt competence. The destruction instant the creation of a release of the bank rate to the real economy and a Counter Cyclical buffer to further support the ability of banks to supply credit. The governments response will use fiscal action to support Public Services, households and businesses. Together we are taking action that is coordinated, coherent and comprehensive. And let me now set out our three point plan. First, whatever extra resources our nhs needs to cope with coronavirus it will get. So whether it is research for a vaccine, recruiting thousands of returning staff or supporting our brilliant doctors and nurses, whether its millions of pounds or billions of pounds, whatever it needs, whatever it cost, we stand behind our nhs. Second, during this immediate crisis, if people fall ill or cant work, we must support their finances. We will make sure that our safety net remains Strong Enough to fall back on. My right honourable friend of the Prime Minister has already announced that statutory sick pay will be paid from day one rather than day four. With the assistance of my right honourable friend the work and pensions secretary, we can go further. Statutory sick pay will also be available for all those who are advised to self isolate, even if they have not yet presented with symptoms. And rather than having to go to the doctors, you will soon be able to attain a sick note by contacting 111. Of course, not everybody is eligible for statutory sick pay. There are millions of people working hard who are self employed or in the gig economy. They will need our help as well. So, to support them during this period, we will make it quicker and easier to access benefits. Those on contributory employment and support allowa nce contributory employment and support allowance will be able to claim from day one instead of day eight. And to make sure that time spent off work due to sickness is reflected in your benefits, i am also temporarily removing the minimum income floor in universal credit. And i am relaxing the requirement for anyone to physically attend a job centre. Everything can be done by phone or online. Taken together, these measures on esa and universal credit provide a boost of almost half £1 billion to our welfare system. And to further support our people, i am also creating a £500 Million Hardship Fund distributed to local authorities who will be able to use that fund to directly support Vulnerable People in their local area. So in total, that is a £1 billion commitment to support the Financial Security of our people. But, madam Deputy Speaker, the best way to support people is to protect theirjobs. And we do that by supporting our businesses, the third pa rt supporting our businesses, the third part of our plan. The measures ive announced today on statutory sick pay are crucial to support those who need to take time off work, but that cost would be borne by business. And if we expect 20 of the workforce to be unable to work at any one time, the cumulative cost would hit our small and medium sized businesses hard. So, in recognition of these exceptional circumstances, today i am taking a significant step. For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, i have decided that the cost of providing statutory sick pay to any employee of work due to coronavirus will for up to 14 days be refunded by the government in full. That could provide over £2 billion for up to 2 million businesses. This will significantly ease the burden on businesses but we can do more. I have asked hmrc to scale up the time to pay service, allowing businesses and the self employed to defer tax payments over an agreed period of time. Starting today, there will be a dedicated helpline with 2000 staff standing ready to help. Although time too pay is important, it will be the case some good, well run businesses will face problems with cash flow and may struggle to pay salaries, pay their bills or buy stock. They will need loans to get through this period. Today, im announcing a new temporary Coronavirus Business interruption loa n Coronavirus Business interruption loan scheme. Banks will offer loans of up to £1. 2 billion to support small and medium sized businesses. The government will offer a guarantee on those loans, covering up guarantee on those loans, covering up to 80 of losses with no fees, so banks can lend with confidence. This will unlock up to £1 billion of attractive working Capital Loans to support Small Businesses with more as needed. Ta ken support Small Businesses with more as needed. Taken together, i expect the combination of these measures to project the majority of businesses through the worst of the crisis. But i have two other measures that will use the tax system to support businesses through this. Our ma nifesto businesses through this. Our manifesto promised that for shops, cinemas, restaurants and music venues cinemas, restaurants and music venues with a rateable value of less than £150,000 we would increase their discount to 50 . Today, i can go further and take the exceptional step for this coming year of abolishing their Business Rates altogether. But there are tens of thousands of other businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors not covered by this policy. Museums, Art Galleries and theatres, caravan parks and gyms, small hotels and sports clubs, nightclubs, guest houses, they would not benefit from todays measure. But they could be some of the hardest hit. So for this year, i have decided to extend the 100 retail discount for them as well. That means any eligible retail leisure or Hospitality Business with a rateable business below £51,000 will pay no Business Rates whatsoever for the next Financial Year. That is a tax cut worth £1 billion, saving each business up to £25,000. And it means over the next 12 months nearly half of all business properties in england will not pay a penny of business rate. Im also launching a review to be concluded in the autumn into the long term future of Business Rates. Even with the temporary extension of retail discount, many of our smallest businesses already pay no Business Rates, so would not benefit from this policy. So to support them to manage their fixed from this policy. So to support them to manage theirfixed costs, im going to go a step further. Im providing to any business currently eligible for the small Business Rates relief a £3,000 cash grant per business. This is a £2 billion cash injection direct to 700,000 of our smallest businesses. Let me summarise for the house the fiscal impact of our Immediate Response to coronavirus. Taken together the extraordinary measures ive set out represent £7 billion to support the several employed, businesses and Vulnerable People. To support the nhs and other Public Services, im also setting aside today a £5 billion Emergency Response fund and i will go further if necessary. Those measures are on top of plans i will set out later in the budget which provide an additional fiscal loosening of £18 billion to support the economy this year. That means im announcing in total a £30 billion fiscal stimulus to support british people, britishjobs and british people, britishjobs and British Businesses through this moment. And of course if further action is needed, as the situation evolves, i hope the whole house knows i will not hesitate to act. I believe this represents one of the most comprehensive economic responses of any government anywhere in the world to date. The governor of the bank of england and i are in contact with our counter parts around the world and im making new funding of £150 million available for the imf relief ef norths efforts. Coronavirus will have a Significant Impact on our economy. But it will be temporary. I will do whatever it takes to get our nation through it. Im acting today with a multibillion pound commitment, more money for our nhs, more generous sick pay, faster er access to sick pay and grants for businesses. And if more is needed, i will take it. I know all member of the house will wa nt to know all member of the house will want to give this plan their full support. Before i turn to the Economic Forecast i hope the house willjoin me in thanking the office for budget responsibility and robert chote in particular. After ten year, i was this is his last budget in charge and he has led the obr with sbeg integrity. Let me turn to the growth forecasts. Since the obr closed their forecast it has become clear the spread of coronavirus will have a Significant Impact on our economy in the coming quarters. But given that the nature of the sho is temporary i want to set out the forecast for the medium term. Before coronavirus, we were facing a slowing world economy. There has been across developed economies, a decade long slow down in productivity and this with the Political Uncertainty of the last three years which affected Business Investment in particular, has led the obr to downgrade our productivity and to reduce gdp growth, compared to the march 2019 forecast. But we will act here with a response that is brave and bold, taking decisions now for ourfuture prosperity. We are investing in world class infrastructure and to lead the world in the industries and technologies of the future. The centraljudgment im technologies of the future. The central judgment im making technologies of the future. The centraljudgment im making today is to fund an additional 175 billion pounds over five years for our future prosperity. The obr have said asa future prosperity. The obr have said as a result of the plans im announcing, combroufrt growth will be half a percentage point higher. The gdp forecast without accounting for the impact of coronavirus would have led to growth of 1. 1 in 2020, 1. 8 in 2021 and 1. 5, 1. 3 and 1. 4 in the following years. Today, the obr have made an estimate they have never made before, they have said in their words, that todays large planned increase in Public Investment should boost potential output too. If future governments have the same determination to continue our approach, the uks long term productivity will increase by 2. 5 . The obr have confidence in the long term future of the economy. More investment and higher growth mean morejobs more investment and higher growth mean more jobs and more investment and higher growth mean morejobs and higher wages. We already have more people working than ever before. Womens employment is ata than ever before. Womens employment is at a record high and since 2010, full time weekly wages have grown higher than in london. The obr expecting half a Million People more will be in work by 2025. Wages are expected to grow in every year of the forecast period. The story of this government has been the story ofa this government has been the story of a nationaljobs miracle. And given the last few weeks i have had, im all in favour ofjobs miracles on inflation. On inflation, the obr forecast 1. 4 this year. Increasing to 1. 8 next year and then for the rest of the forecast period remaining on or around target. Im sure the whole house willjoin me in taking the opportunity to thank mark carney, the governor of bank of england for his seven years of Public Service and he watch him on his new role as finance advisor and welcome his successor, who takes uch his post on monday. Let me turn to the fiscal forecast. The Economic Impact of coronavirus reminds us of the importance of fiscal responsibility. Our public finances are strong. With the deficit down from 10 in 2010 to less tha n the deficit down from 10 in 2010 to less than 2 last year. Our economy is well prepared for the future and it is well prepared, because of ten yea rs of it is well prepared, because of ten years of conservative led governments and conservative chancellors. And i too will always act responsibly with the nations finances. But it is important that we up date our fiscal framework to remain at the leading edge of International Best practice. Our Economic Security depends on maintaining the following, low and sta ble maintaining the following, low and stable inflation, delivering price stability, fiscal sus stainability and effective institutions like the bank of england and the obr. These features for our framework will a lwa ys features for our framework will always be protected. But there is a live global debate about what our low Interest Rate environment means for fiscal strategy, about the case for fiscal strategy, about the case for fiscal strategy, about the case for fiscal policy to play a more active role in stabilising the economy and about the best way to measure productivity enhancing investment, such as Human Capital or measuring value on the public balance sheet. I want the take time to consider these questions over the coming months. So that our fiscal framework allows us to make the right long term decisions for our Economic Security and prosperity. I will review the fiscal framework, consulting widely, with a range of experts and will report back in the autumn ifi experts and will report back in the autumn if i conclude any changes are necessary. But at the same time, credibility comes as much from what we do as what we say. We were elected on a manifesto that promised to meet a specific set of fiscal rules. Todays budget is about delivering our promises. And that is why despite the speculation, todays budget is delivered notjust within the fiscal rules in our manifesto, but with room to spare. Im setting the amount the government will spend within those rules as well. Today, the obr report a Budget Surplus in every one of the next five years and in 2022 we have space of nearly £12 billion. The obr forecast borrowing will increase from 2. 1 in 1920, to 2. 496, will increase from 2. 1 in 1920, to 2. 4 , 2. 8 rgs and then falls to 2. 596, 2. 2. 496 2. 4 , 2. 8 rgs and then falls to 2. 5 , 2. 2. 4 and 2. 2 in the following years. The forecast that headline debt will be lower at the end of the parliament, falling from 79. 35 to 79. 2 in 2025. Im sure the house will understand that given how urgently we have developed our economic response to the coronavirus, that package of measures has not yet been captured in the forecast and nor have the fiscal impact of the banks actions, but the target year for our fiscal rule is not until 2023. Within our current framework i have the flexibility to act as required over the next two years. As we enter a period of challenge, we start from a position of strength. The economy growing. Morejobs. Position of strength. The economy growing. More jobs. Higher wages. Sta ble growing. More jobs. Higher wages. Stable inflation. Sound public finances. We promised to manage our economy responsibly, we are getting it done. This budget responds at scale to the immediate threat of coronavirus. And it reports on an economy whose foundations are strong and it is a budget that provided for security today, but let me now outline our plan for prosperity tomorrow. This is the first budget ofa tomorrow. This is the first budget of a new decade. The first in almost 50 yea rs of a new decade. The first in almost 50 years outside the eu. And the first of this new government. At the election we said we needed to be one nation. While talent is spread, opportunity is not and we need to fix that. This is a budget that will deliver on our promises and the budget of a government that get things done. We promised to get brexit done, and we got it done. We promise to help hard working families keep more of what they earn. This budget gets it done. We promise to back businesses to innovate, invest and trade. This budget gets it done. We promise to invest in science and research. This budget gets it done. We promise to deliver green growth and protect our environment. This budget gets it done. We promised to deliver new railways, homes, broadband. This budget gets it done. And, yes, we promised record funding for our nhs and Public Services. This budget gets it done. This government delivers its policies and gets things done. Madam Deputy Speaker, our plan for prosperity starts immediately by putting more money in peoples pockets. It was a conservative government that in 2016 introduced the National Living wage giving peoples lowest paid workers the biggest pay rise in 20 years and injust three the biggest pay rise in 20 years and in just three weeks time around 2 million workers will see their wages rise again by 6. 2 . For a full time worker, thats a pay rise of almost £1000, the biggest cash increase ever. But we have promised to go further. Today we are publishing a new remit for the independent low Pay Commission and they now have a formal target that as long as Economic Conditions allow, by 2024, the National Living wage will reach two thirds of median earnings. On current forecast that means a living wage of over £10 50 per hour. We promised to end low pay and we are getting it done. And as people earn more, we will cut taxes on their wages. I am more, we will cut taxes on their wages. Iam increasing, injust four weeks time, the National Insurance threshold from £8,632 up to £9,500. That is a tax cut for 31 Million People, saving a typical employee over £100, and taken together, our changes to the National Living wage, income tax and now National Insurance means that someone working full time on the minimum wage will be more than £5,200 better off than in 2010. The conservatives, the real workers party. I can also confirm that now we have left the eu that i will abolish the tampon tax. From january next year there will be no vat whatsoever on womens sanitary products and i congratulate all members and right honourable members who campaign for this, including the former memberfor who campaign for this, including the former member for dewsbury who led the charge. Now let me turn to duties. Scotch whisky is a crucial industry and our largest food and drink exports. My scottish conservative colleagues, including my honourable friend the member for moray, have highlighted me the impact that the recent us tariffs are having. We will continue to lobby the Us Government to remove these harmful tariffs. But in the meantime, im announcing today £1 million of support to promote scottish food and drink overseas and £10 million of new research and Development Funding to help distilleries go green. And to further support the industry i can also announce that this year the planned increase in spirits duty will be cancelled. Madam Deputy Speaker, pubs are at the centre of community life. Pubs are at the centre of community life, but too many have closed over the past decade. We are already promising to introduce a Business Rates pubs discount of £1000 for small pubs but ive heard calls from many honourable and right honourable members, including my honourable friend the member for dudley south, that we need to do more, especially given the possible impact of coronavirus on our pubs. So today, i can announce that exceptionally for this year, the business rate discount for pubs will not be £1000, it will be £5,000. And im also pleased to announce that the planned rise in beer duty will also be cancelled. And because of decisions are taken elsewhere in this budget, iam also are taken elsewhere in this budget, i am also freezing duties for cider and wine drinkers as well. For only the second time in almost 20 years, thatis the second time in almost 20 years, that is every single one of our alcohol duties frozen. Madam Deputy Speaker, i have heard representations but after nine years of being frozen, at a cost of £110 billion to the taxpayer, we can no longer afford to freeze fuel duty. Im certainly mindful of the fiscal cost and the Environmental Impacts. But im taken considerable steps in this budget to incentivise cleaner forms of transportation, and many people still rely on their cars. So im pleased to announce today that for another year, fuel duty will remain frozen. Compared to 2010 plans, that is a saving of £1200. Mud and debris speaker, wages up, National Insurance cut, the tampon tax abolished, spirits duty frozen, beer duty frozen, wine and cider duty frozen, fuel duty frozen. We promise to cut taxes and the cost of living, and we got it done. Madam Deputy Speaker, as conservatives we know that to put more money in peoples pockets we need a thriving private sector. That is what drives growth and creates jobs and lives Living Standards. So the second part of our plan is to unleash the power of our plan is to unleash the power of businesses. Businesses need help to start and export. Today i provide 130 million of new funding to extend start up loans, £200 million for the British Business bank to invest in scale ups. Another £200 million for life scientists. More money for growth pubs and 21 cities with British Library business support, £5 billion of new export loans for business and dedicated trade envoy is representing the north, midlands, wales and the west of england and our embassies around the world. Madam Deputy Speaker, businesses also need a fair tax system. We were invest elected on a manifesto that promised to renew and reform entrepreneur really. I have completed that review and here is what we are going to do. Entrepreneur relief is expensive and ata entrepreneur relief is expensive and at a cost of over £2 billion a year, ineffective with less than one in ten claimant saying the relief was an incentive to set up the business and unfair with three quarters of the cost going to just over 5000 individuals. Just because it is called entrepreneurs relief, it is not mainly entrepreneurs who benefit. All these reasons i have heard representations i should com pletely heard representations i should completely abolish it. The institute for fiscal studies have criticised it and the Resolution Foundation called it the uks worst tax break andi called it the uks worst tax break and i am sympathetic to the argument. But at the same time we shouldnt discourage those genuine entrepreneurs who do rely on the relief. We need more risk taking and creativity in this country, not less. So i decided not to fully abolish it today. Instead i will do what the federation of Small Businesses called a sensible reform and reduce the lifetime limit from £10 million down to £1 million. 80 of Small Business owners are u naffected of Small Business owners are unaffected by todays changes. Those reforms save £6 billion over the next five years and i am giving almost all of that money straight back to business through three additional measures. The research and Development Expenditure credit will be increased from 12 up to 13 . A tax cut worth £2400 on a typical r and d claim. The structures and building allowance will be increased from 2 up to 3 , giving an extra £1300 of relief if you are investing ina building £1300 of relief if you are investing in a building worth £10 million. And to cut taxes on employment i will deliver our promise to increase the employment allowance by a third, to £4000, and that is a tax cut available for nearly half a million Small Businesses, another step towards a dynamic low tax economy that we want to see. Madam Deputy Speaker we promise to cut taxes on business, we are getting it done. Madam Deputy Speaker, to help our businesses lead the next generation of high productivity industries, we also need to invest now in the technologies of the future. We are a country of newton, hodgkin and turing and is a history filled with ideas, invention and discovery. And it is truly a national history. The first stea m it is truly a national history. The first Steam Railway ran between stockton and darlington. The First Television was invented by a scot. A welshman invented the First Hydrogen fuel cell and jocelyn bell burnell, born in Northern Ireland, discovered the first radio pulsars. To compete and succeed over the next decade and beyond, we need to recapture that spirit, so the third part of our plan for prosperity is to invest in ideas. Madam Deputy Speaker, in our ma nifesto, ideas. Madam Deputy Speaker, in our manifesto, we made a promise to double investment in research and development to £18 billion. I would not be doing this today, instead i will increase investment in our andy to £22 billion per year r and d. The largest and fastest increase in randd the largest and fastest increase in r and d spend ever. As a percentage of gdp, it will be the highest in nearly 40 years, higher than the us, china, france and japan and a major step towards our target of increasing public and private investment in r and d to 2. 4 of gdp and we wont wait to get started. Next year, funding will grow by 15 , the fastest year on year growth on record. Detailed allocations of our investment in ideas will be set out at the Spending Review but i can make some announcements today. Im investing £1. 4 billion in our world leading Science Institute at weybridge where, as we speak they are working to analyse samples of coronavirus. To secure our leadership in the technology of the future im investing over £900 million in nuclearfusion, space and electric vehicles. And as we invest in ideas, we are also changing the way we fund science in this country. Ican way we fund science in this country. I can confirm we will invest at least £800 million in a new Blue Skies Funding Agency here in the uk modelled on the extraordinary us model. And as we invest in ideas, we are changing where we fund science in this country. Today, half of r and dfunding in this country. Today, half of r and d funding goes to london, the east and south east of england. So we are investing £400 million of new funding into High Quality Research with much of that incremental funding going to our brilliant universities around the country and we promise to make this country one of the Scientific Research centres of the Scientific Research centres of the Scientific Research centres of the world, and we are getting it done. Madam Deputy Speaker, there can be no lasting prosperity for our people if we do not protect our planet. So the fourth part of our planet. So the fourth part of our plan for prosperity is to create the high skill, high wage, low carbon jobs of the future. To level up with com pletely jobs of the future. To level up with completely new industries in our regions and nations, to raise our productivity and lift our quality of life even as we cut our emissions. The treasurys net zero review will set out the governments strategic choices ahead of cop26 later this year. Todays budget takes the first steps. First we will increase taxes on pollution. Electricity is now a cleaner any energy form than gas but the Climate Change levy paid by companies taxes electricity at a higher rate. So is another step towards equalising the rates and Encouraging Energy efficiency, from april 2022, Encouraging Energy efficiency, from april2022, i Encouraging Energy efficiency, from april 2022, i am freezing the levy on electricity and raising it on gas. I will support the most Energy Intensive industries to transform into net zero by extending the Climate Change agreement scheme for a further two years. To tackle the scourge of plastic waste, we will deliver our manifesto promise to introduce a new plastic packaging tax. From april 2022, we will charge manufacturers and importers £200 per tonne on packaging made of less than 30 recycled plastic which will increase the use of recycled plastic and packaging by 40 , equal to a carbon saving of nearly 200,000 tonnes. Let me now turn to red diesel. The red diesel scheme allows selected users to pay duty ofjust over 11p per litre for diesel compared to almost 58 p per litre for everyone else. But the sectors using red diesel are some of the biggest contributors to our air quality problem, emitting nearly 10 of the noxious gases polluting the airof our of the noxious gases polluting the air of our cities like london. This isa air of our cities like london. This is a tax relief on nearly 40 Million Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide every year, the same as the entire population of london and Greater Manchester taking a return flight to new york. Its been a 2. 4 billion tax break for pollution that has also hindered the development of clean alternatives. Soi development of clean alternatives. So i will abolish the tax relief for most sectors. That is the right thing to do, but i recognise it will bea thing to do, but i recognise it will be a big change for some industries. So, firstly, this change will not ta ke so, firstly, this change will not take effect for two years giving businesses time to prepare. Secondly, i have heard the concerns about agriculture, particularly from the nfu, rural colleagues and indeed the nfu, rural colleagues and indeed the memberfor sherwood. Soi so i have decided that agriculture will retain the relief. Ill also keep the relief for rail, for domestic heating and there will be no impact on fishing. We will consult over the summer with other sectors, and thirdly, to help develop cleaner alternatives to red diesel and other fossil fuels, we will more than double r d investment in the Energy Programme to £1 billion. As well as taxing pollution, we will invest and cut taxes on clean transport. We are introducing a comprehensive package of tax and spend reforms to make it cheaper to buy zero or low emission cars, vans, motorbikes and taxis. We are investing £300 million in tackling nitrogen dioxide emissions in towns and cities across england and we are investing £500 million to support the roll out of new rapid charging hubs so drivers are never more than 30 miles away from being able to charge up their car. Taken together, this budget invests £1 billion in Green Transport solutions. Many members will have seen the devastating impact of the recent floods on homes and businesses. And particularly the member more barnly east, the members for Calder Valley and ludlow. I can announce today im making £120 million available immediately to repair all damages, all defences damaged in the winter floods. To support those areas that have been repeatedly flooded, im providing £200 million of funding to local communities to build their Flood Resilience and to protect people and over 300,000 properties, im doubling our investment in flood defences over the next six years to 5. 2 million. We are supporting Natural Habitats like woodlands and ican Natural Habitats like woodlands and i can confirm to protect, restore and expand these habitats and ca ptu re and expand these habitats and capture carbon, we will provide £640 million for a new nature for climate fund. Over five years we will plant around 30 thousand hectares of trees and restore 35 thousand of peatland. This government intends to be the first in history to leave our Natural Environment in a better state than we found it. I can make one further announcement on green growth, car concapture one further announcement on green growth, car conca ptu re is one further announcement on green growth, car concapture is the technology where britain with lead the world and we will invest at least £800 million to establish two or more new Carbon Capture store age clusters that will store millions of tonnes of Carbon Dioxide. It will create up to 6 thousand high skill jobs in areas like humberside and merseyside and it is levelling up in action. Greenjobs, betterflood defences, cheaper electric vehicles, new technology, we promised to protect our environment, we are getting it done we, as a party, know that talent is evenly spread in our country, but opportunity is not. And we have the put that right. We need to build the infrastructure to lay the foundations for a new century of prosperity and grab the opportunity to upgrade, to improve to enhance and level up that starts today. With the next part of our plan. As we get britain building. Over the next five years, we will invest more than £600 billion in our future prosperity. Public net investment will in real terms be the highest it has been since 1955. Take the average amount we have invested for the last 40 years, we are tripling it. Capital budget in 2024 alone will reach over £110 billion. I will set out the details allocations at the Spending Review, but im taking three steps today. First, we are going to change the whole mind set of government. To make sure economic Decision Making reflects the economic going if geography of the country, we are reviewing the treasury green book and will have treasury announces in scotla nd and will have treasury announces in scotland and Northern Ireland and we will open a new campus in the north with over 750 staff from the treasury, the department of be business and trade and we wont stop there. Our ambition is to move 22,000 Civil Servants outside central london. Second, because of this changed mind set, we will invest more in our nations cities and towns. The budget provided an extra £640 million for the Scottish Government, £360 million for the Welsh Government and £210 for the Northern Ireland executive. Im announcing £242 million of funding for new city and growth deals, taking our investment to more than £2. 7 billion. We have agreed a new devolution deal in West Yorkshire with the elected mayor for the reg and to make sure that notjust londoners who benefit the transport deals that helped tfl, the new West Yorkshire mayor will get new london style funding settlements worth £4. 2 billion. These settle m e nts worth £4. 2 billion. These settlements are in addition to the city fund which will invest over a billion in local transport in 12 further cities, including stoke, preston, derby, nottingham and southampton. Third we are going to build broadband, railway, roads, if the country needs it, we will build it. Todays budge provides £5 billion to get broadband into the ha rd est to reach billion to get broadband into the hardest to reach places and now investment into the shared rule phone network and in five years, 4g coverage will reach 95 of the country and let me thank my right honourable friend the culture secretary, who will get this done. Were also going to build better railways. With spades going into the ground for hs2, our commitment to funding fora ground for hs2, our commitment to funding for a new station at Cambridge South and the Midlands Rail hub. Darlington station moving to the next stage of development and funding to make a dozen stations more accessible. And there is more money for our roads too. Today, im announcing the biggest ever investment in strategic roads and motorways over 27 billion of tarmac. That will pay for work on over 20 connections to ports and airports and over 4,000 miles of road. Im also announcing investment in local roads and new 2. 5 billion pothole fund. That is £500 million each year, enough to fill by the end of parliament 50 million potholes. The details of all these schemes will be published later today and i thank the transport secretary for all his efforts. Our ambition is truly national. The a417, the a428, the a46, unclogging manchesters arteries and freeing the traffic north of newcastle and something my colleague will be pleased to hear, we are protecting beautiful villages in the welsh borders, as we build the bypass and we promise to get britain moving and we are getting it done. There is one more road i would like the mention. One of our most important regional arteries. It is one of the projects symbolising delay and obstruction, governments have been trying to fix it since the 19805. Have been trying to fix it since the 1980s. Every year, millions of cars crawl along it in traffic. Ruining the backdrop to one of our most important historic landmarks. So to the many members who have campaigned for this moment, i say this. The a303, this government is going to get it done today, we have announced the biggest programme of Public Investment. £27 billion for strategic roads and a new major for West Yorkshire and investment in each region and nation of our United Kingdom, we promised to get britain building, this budget is getting it done. Only by having a plan for prosperity will we grow the economy. Only by having a growing economy can we invest in our Public Services. And only by investing in our Public Services, the peoples priority, can we send a clear message tho those who rely on them, you are our priority. Our Public Services are one of the most important tools by which we the government can level up and spread opportunity. So that no matter who you are, or where you we re matter who you are, or where you were born, you will have every chance to succeed in our modern economy. And that starts with education. We have already provided schools with a three year settlement worth over £7 billion. The education secretary is taking the forward our plan to increase per pupilfunding by an average of over 4 . Today, im providing every region in the country with funding for specialist 16 to 19 maths schools, 25 thousand a year on average for each secondary school to investment in the arts and £8 million for the Football Foundation to build new pitches for around 3,000 people and to support families im provided £2. 5 billion to Fund Research to help family hubs. I want to take the opportunity to pay trib tribute to the member for brops grove. Broms broef. He is passionate about levelling up further education. He increased funding for 16 to 19 education by £400 million. Today, i can secure his legacy with 1. 5 billion of new capital over five years to improve the condition of our fe estate. We are getting it done i have one final education announcement. I talked today about britain being the country of scientists, investors and engineers, but we are also the country of shakespeare and austin and our greatest export is our language, our greatest asset is the exchange of debate and ideas and our responsibility is the education of our young people. A world class education will help the next generation thrive and nothing could be more fundamental to that than reading. And yet digital public ation are subject to vat. That cant be right. Im abolishing the reading tax. From the 1st december, books, newspapers, magazines, however they are read, will have no vat charge. There will be no vat on historical fiction by Hilary Mantel or text books or works of fantasy like John Mcdonnells economics for the many the irony is it sold so few it is his own Little Red Book our second priority is to make sure people have affordable and safe housing. Today, i can make good our promise to extend the Affordable Homes programme with new settlement of £12 billion. It is the largest investment in Affordable Housing in a decade. To support local authorities, im cutting Interest Rates on lending for social housing by 1 . Making available more than a billion pounds of discounted loans for local infrastructure. Im confirming nearly 1. 1 billion of allocations from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to build nearly 70,000 homes in areas of high demand. A new 4 hundred million fund for ambitious mayors to build on brownfield sites. Tomorrow the housing secretary will set out reform to bring our Planning System into the 21st century. The challenge is most acutely felt by those with no home at all. So today im confirming 650 million of funding to help rough sleepers. That will buy up help rough sleepers. That will buy up to 6,000 no places for people to live, enable a step change in support services and help us meet our promise to end rough sleeping in is in parliament and to fund the measures, im confirming today that our manifesto promise to introduce a new stamp duty surcharge for non uk residents will be introduced. I have one further measure to announce on housing. Two and a half years on we are still grappling with the tragic legacy of grenfell tower. Last year we allocated £600 million to remove u nsafe we allocated £600 million to remove unsafe aluminium Composite Material from high rise residential buildings. Today, i go further. Expert advice is clear that new public funding must concentrate on removing unsafe materials from high rise residential buildings. So from today i am creating a new safety fu nd from today i am creating a new safety fund for buildings worth £1 billion. That is what the experts have called for, that is what the select committee have called for and even what the opposition have called for. That new fund will go beyond dealing with acm to make sure all u nsafe dealing with acm to make sure all unsafe combustible cladding is removed from every private and social residential building above 18 metres high, and my right honourable friend the housing secretary will spearhead our efforts to make sure developers and building owners do theirfair developers and building owners do their fair Share Developers and building owners do theirfair share as well. Developers and building owners do their fair share as well. Madam Deputy Speaker there is no more cherished Public Service than our nhs and for whatever resources the nhs and for whatever resources the nhs needs to deal with coronavirus, it will get. It is right that we ask eve ryo ne it will get. It is right that we ask everyone to contribute to a thriving Health Service. Business benefits from our nhs so as promised in the ma nifesto, from our nhs so as promised in the manifesto, the Corporation Tax will not be cut this year but will remain at 19 , still the lowest rate in the 620. At 19 , still the lowest rate in the g20. Migrants benefit from our nhs and we all want them to do so but its right that what people want out they have to put in. There is a surcharge already but it does not properly reflect the benefits people receive, so as promised in our ma nifesto, receive, so as promised in our manifesto, we are increasing the Immigration Health surcharge to £624 with a discounted rate for children. To raise further funds for the nhs, im announcing a package of measures today to clamp down on aggressive tax avoidance, evasion and noncompliance, including extra funding for hmrc to secure £4. 4 billion of additional revenue. In those extra contributions allow me to ta ke those extra contributions allow me to take three further steps to support our Health Services. First, Mental Health support can be critical for many people. And particularly for our veterans. Thanks to the campaigning from my honourable friend the member for wolverhampton south west and the right honourable member for wolverhampton south west and the right honourable memberfor north essex, i will be supporting veterans with Mental Health needs with a £10 million donation to the armed forces cove na nt fu nd million donation to the Armed Forces Covenant fund trust, and im also confirming today to encourage employers to provide veterans with job opportunities, we will introduce a new National Insurance relief. Second, i have listened to concerns from all sides of this house that the pensions tax system is preventing doctors from taking on more hours. To significantly reduce the number of people that the tapered annual allowance effects, i am increasing both taper thresholds by £90,000, removing anyone with income below £200,000, and because of their vital work for the nhs, that will take 98 of consultants and 96 of gps out of the taper altogether. At the same time, and reducing the minimum annual allowa nce to reducing the minimum annual allowance to £4000, which will only impact those with incomes above £300,000. This is a £2 billion commitment to support our hard working doctors. Commitment to support our ha rd working doctors. Let commitment to support our hard working doctors. Let me turn now to the overall funding settle m e nt now to the overall funding settlement for the nhs. Weve already provided the nhs with a record funding increase, £34 billion over five years, the record funding increase, £34 billion overfive years, the Biggest Record funding increase, £34 billion over five years, the biggest cash increase in Public Services since the second world war. Today i can go further. I can announce over £6 billion of new funding in this parliament to support the nhs. That new money will deliver 50,000 more nurses, 50 million more gp surgery appointments and work starting on 40 new hospitals. You heard that right, 40 new hospitals. We promised to back the nhs, and this budget gets it done. I have one last point to make about Public Services. We have now left the eu and we promise to get brexit done and we got it done. We promise to regain control of the money we send to brussels and for the First Time Ever todays ob are forecast shows that the billions of pounds we would have sent to the eu can now be spent on our priorities. Today i am launching the next Spending Review to conclude injuly, setting out detailed Spending Plans for the parliament. Let me set out for the parliament. Let me set out for the parliament. Let me set out for the house how new totals for public spending on Public Services. The obr have said that todays budget will be the largest sustained fiscal boost for nearly 30 years. Next year, day to day departmental spending will grow at the fastest rate in 15 years. Over the Spending Review period it is set to grow at the fastest rate since 2004, an average growth rate in real terms of 2. 5 2. 8 , average growth rate in real terms of 2. 5 2. 8 , twice as fast as the economy, which means by the end of the Parliament Day to day spending on Public Services will be £100 billion higher in cash terms than it is today. More police, safer streets, more nurses, Better Health care, more teachers, better education. Madam Deputy Speaker, the house now knows what the electorate already knows, the conservatives are the party of Public Services. Madam Deputy Speaker, we are at the beginning of a new era in this country. We have the freedom and the resources to decide our own future, a future where we unleash the energy, inventiveness and creativity of all the british people, and a future where we look outwards and are confident on the world stage. That starts right now with our world leading response to the coronavirus. This is a budget delivered in challenging times. We will rise to this moment, we will get through this moment, we will get through this together. This budget delivers security today, but also lays the foundation for prosperity tomorrow. This is just the start. Over the next few months, we will tackle the big issues head on from our National Infrastructure strategy, to social ca re infrastructure strategy, to social care and further devolution. This is the budget of a government that gets things done. Creating jobs, the budget of a government that gets things done. Creatingjobs, cutting taxes, keeping the cost of living low, investing in our nhs, investing in our Public Services, investing in ideas, backing business, protecting our environment, building roads, building railway, building colleges, building railway, building colleges, building houses, building our union. A budget that delivers on our promises. A peoples budget from a peoples government, and i commend it to this house. Cheering so the chancellor sits down and he spoke for over an hour and his speech was packed with announcements, and the Spending Plans didnt make it clear where all the money was coming from but i think well be hearing a lot about the b word, borrowing, and there will be a huge increase to pay for a lot of this. He has certainly splashed the cash on every thing from more money for the nhs, to roads, to research and development and various tax cuts and freezing of taxes such as the fuel levy. It was a huge budget in terms of its content and it will take a lot of unpicking, and we are already starting to do that, but before that we will hear from the leader of the opposition and we will get his response in just opposition and we will get his response injust a minute. Above all, he began with a massive injection into the economy to cope with the Economic Impact of the coronavirus and he said that these measures taken together would amount toa30 measures taken together would amount to a 30 billion stimulus to support the economy during the current crisis. And the nhs would get whatever it takes in funding in order to deal with it and there were various order to deal with it and there were various measures order to deal with it and there were various measures for people who might lose theirjobs or be laid off or have to take sick leave and so on and all sorts of money, he said, would go there and that they would continue to be able to finance that for the foreseeable future. It was in many ways reminiscent of a gordon brown budget. Lots of money being handed out in various directions. Certainly far removed from the austerity budgets that we have been used to, certainly up until recent yea rs used to, certainly up until recent years from this conservative government as we wait forJeremy Corbyn, and we will go straight to the commons when we get him, lets show you some of the big headline starting with the coronavirus. Actually, we will go straight to Jeremy Corbyn. Lets go back to the chamber. Thank you, madam Deputy Speaker. The coronavirus outbreak is an emergency, so i speaker. The coronavirus outbreak is an emergency, so i want to make it clear that we will have to Work Together, all of us, to meet this head on and to overcome it. But we will only overcome this virus because of the dedication of our nhs staff, carers and public servants. The steps the government has announced today to head off the Economic Impact of the coronavirus are obviously welcome, but i have some points i wish to raise. We have to be straight with people. Its going to be much tougher because of the last ten years of deeply damaging and counter productive cuts to all of our essential Public Services. We are going into this crisis with our Public Services on their knees. And as todays figures confirm, with a fundamentally weak economy, which is now flatlining, with zero growth, even before the impact of coronavirus. Todays budget was billed as a turning point, a chance to deliver. In particular on the promises made to working class communities during the general election. But, it doesnt come close. The governments boast of the biggest investment since the 19505 is frankly a sleight of hand. It is in fact only the biggest since they began their slash and burn assault on our services, economic infrastructure and Living Standards in 2010. And having ruthlessly forced down the Living Standards and life chances of millions of our people for decades, the talk of levelling up is a crueljoke. The reality is that this is a budget which is an admission of failure, an admission that austerity has been a failed experiment. It did not solve our economic problems, but made them worse. It held back our own recovery and failed even in its own terms. And todays measures go no near reversing the damage that has been done to our country. Mr speaker, madam Deputy Speaker, i am sure the whole house will wish the honourable memberfor mid whole house will wish the honourable member for mid bedfordshire well. Many people are understandably very worried about the impact of coronavirus on their own lives. The government needs to be very clear what it is announcing and there are still questions to be answered about the governments response. What coverage is there for people on zero hours contracts or those without a contract of employment beyond reforms to benefits . Will statutory sick pay adjustments announced today be available to all workers from day one . What support will be made available for low paid workers who dont meet the lower earnings limit for statutory sick pay . Are there any plans to increase the level of statutory sick pay, which itself is actually scandalously low . Will people who are doing the right thing by self isolating continue to be punished with a five week wait for universal credit payments . The benefit system cant be the only support for millions of workers not entitled to statutory sick pay. The crisis is exposing the vulnerabilities in our economy and our Public Services. When the 17,000 national Health Service beds have been cut, leaving 94 of the remaining beds full, when 100,000 people are forced to wait more than four hours on trolleys in a e departments in january, more than four hours on trolleys in a e departments injanuary, it is Little Wonder that people worry that the extra money from the for the Health Service is too little, too late. We only have a quarter of the intensive care beds per person that germany has. We dont have enough ventilators to deal with a mass outbreak, or the people with the necessary training skills to operate those ventilators. Across the national Health Service there are at this moment 100,000 staff vacancies. And moreover, Public Health budgets have been slashed by1 billion in recent yea rs. Have been slashed by1 billion in recent years. What an irony . Public health is based on the principle that prevention is better than cure. This government is providing money only after a serious outbreak is under way. We know that the most Vulnerable People to coronavirus our older people. That is when we need a Strong Social care system. But social care is in crisis. There is an8 social care is in crisis. There is an 8 billion funding gap since 2010. Instead of the government presenting a social care plan, which the part time Prime Minister told us was ready long ago, they are asking the rest of us to come up with ideas. Underpaid care workers, a quarter of them on zero hours contracts, travel from house to house to provide care to elderly and sick people. It is a model that could scarily be better designed to encourage the spread of a virus. It is vital that the government doesnt wait, but comes up government doesnt wait, but comes up now with answers to ensure that ca re up now with answers to ensure that care workers do not lose out for staying away from work if they experience the symptoms. Mr speaker, the chancellor shows not some, a lot of brass neck, when he boasts that measures to deal with coronavirus are only pssible because of his pa rtys are only pssible because of his partys management of the economy. Look outside, in the rest of the world, in the real world, we are still living through the slowest economic recovery in a century. Our economy is fundamentally weak. Ons figures show the economy is not growing, growth was 0. 0 in the three months to january. 0. 0 in the three months to january. 0. 0 in the three months to the end of january. The Prime Minister might find this funny, those struggling dont. Future growth has been downgraded yet again. From 1. 4 to 1. 1 this year. And that is before coronavirus has been taken into account. We have stalling productivity, flat lining Business Investment and wages of only just scrape past Business Investment and wages of onlyjust scrape past precrisis levels. None of this can be blamed on coronavirus and it isnt all because of brexit either. It is because of brexit either. It is because they have failed on the economy. That failure has left us the most regionally unequal country in europe. Investment spending more head in london is more than double that of the east midlands, and they talk about levelling up. But who pushed huge swathes of our country so low in the first place . Its conservative governments that have starved the country of investment for the past ten years, resulting in a 192 billion hole in Infrastructure Spending. What has that meant for people . It has meant bus services have been cut, there is patchy access to broadband. Homes and businesses ruined, because of inadequate flood defences. The chancellor expects plaudits for half filling the investment hole his party created in the first place. Amid a blizzard of hype, he is claiming today marks the biggest capital injection since the 19505. But mr speaker, this is actually all smoke and mirrors, as a percentage of gdp, it only returns us to the levels we had before the conservatives slashed investment so drastically in 2010. Given the challenge of the Coronavirus Crisis, we need a far reaching reaction to ensure we are in the strongest possible to navigate the transition to new relationships with the eu and a post brexit economy. If if government wanted to level up, there is only one thing they should be doing, a green industrial revolution. They would have a plan to kick start new Green Industries and create skilled jobs across our country. The Climate Emergency threatens our very existence. It demands we mobilise our resources on a massive scale. The environmental measures announced by the chancellor today get nowhere near that. The government has maintained the freeze on fuel duty, without lowering bus and railfares. On fuel duty, without lowering bus and rail fares. Showing on fuel duty, without lowering bus and railfares. Showing complacency about the emergency. Young people will be dismayed at the lack of urgency to reduce our emissions. They see this as the conservatives once again putting the profits of big polluters and Oil Companies above peoples safety and well being. And when the chancellor announced with such aplomb a Huge Investment in road building, where is the Environmental Impact assessment being made of that policy . Or the increased pollution that will come from increased car use and traffic across this country . Mr speaker, todays budget confirms that austerity has not worked. Even in its own terms. We have had a decade of decline. Austerity has cost the uk economy almost £100 billion, according to the new economics foundation. But the tru true cost is bigger. I want to give an example. Errol graham was an amateur footballer when he was young. By his mid 505, suffering from Mental Health issues, he had become reclusive, unable to leave his flat in nottingham. Terrified of the world outside. He couldnt attend his fitness for work assessment. So, because of the governments harsh and very uncaring attitude, his benefits were cut off. With no income forfood, he obviously began to go hungry. He wrote a desperate letter to his dwp assessor. Judge me fairly, he wrote. Its not nice living this way. Errol weighed four and a half stone when the bailiffs found his body inside his flat. He had starved to death in this the fifth richest country in the world. When the chancellor talks about difficult decisions, the government took in imposing austerity, is he thinking of decisions to deprive errol of his income or people like errol, who are doing through such tra mas . Traumas. The worst thing is austerity, all this suffering, has been a political choice, not an economic necessity. The Party Opposite continues to make the absurd claim that austerity was needed, because spending on school, hospitals and Public Services by labour somehow was the cause of the worldwide financial crash in 2008. A us Senate Report into the crash singled out two, two investment banks to blame. Goldman sachs and deutsche bank. A few weeks ago, the Prime Minister turfed out one chancellor, who had previously worked at deutsche bank. And replaced him with another one, who worked at goldman sachs. Truly a government of the people now, mr speaker, if one has to believe that austerity is over. But it is not true. According to the institution for fiscal studies it would take £54 billion of current spending this year, excludeing health and soesh ca re year, excludeing health and soesh care to get united back to 2010 levels. To get us back to 2010 levels. To get us back to 2010 levels. We have heard nothing of that scope from the chancellor. Try telling local council, which face a further 8 billion black hole over this parliament that austerity is over. Mr speaker, to end austerity and fund urgent action on the Climate Emergency, and our Public Services, we need a fair taxation system. That means making the richest pay their share. But the governments changes to the National Insurance threshold will actually mostly benefit higher earners. While those on lower incomes would be better supported by boosting wages and real Social Security. The income of the poorest fifth of family has fallen by 7 injust of the poorest fifth of family has fallen by 7 in just two years. And as the Resolution Foundation has said, this has been driven by policy choices. How can it be right that the 12 years after the bankers crashed the economy, the poorest 20 of the population are still being made to pay for it . While those at the top are being rewarded yet again. Today, we learn they wont even scrap entrepreneurs relief, a subsidy benefitting 5,000 people who make an average of £350,000 a year. Ican make an average of £350,000 a year. I can only assume those who fund the conservative party have had a quiet word with the chancellor and told him to back off. Creating a fair taxation system also means tackling taxation system also means tackling tax avoidance and evasion. How can we have confidence in this chancellor to clamp down on tax dodgers, when he worked for hedge funds that used the Cayman Islands had a business associate who engaged ina had a business associate who engaged in a multimillion pound tax avoidance scheme and have confidence when the governments big idea is a p pa re ntly when the governments big idea is apparently free ports, tax free zones, to i allow the superrich to dodge taxes. The last chancellor resigned, saying that no self respecting ministers could accept being controlled by advisors in no 10. The new chancellor accepted that control and now he has presented a day 27 days after taking thejob. Can presented a day 27 days after taking the job. Can i presented a day 27 days after taking thejob. Can i through him and the chuntering Prime Minister pass on our congratulations, to Dominic Cummings on writing a budget so quickly. But what a let down it has been. When i first responded to a budget, austerity was in vogue and our demands for investment were dismissed. The public debate has shifted injust a dismissed. The public debate has shifted in just a few years. But there is a gaping chasm between the rhetoric of the conservative party and the reality of what they deliver. Because the conservative party, whatever they say, will never stand up for working class communities. They will always, a lwa ys communities. They will always, always put the interests of their wealthy friends first. The reality of todays announcements will become clear and the hard sell and the spin will fade and this budget will be seen to be a lost opportunity. A failure of ambition and a bitter disappointment to all those people who had been promised so much. From what we have heard today, theyre actually going to see very little. Order. Call the chairman of treasury select committee. Thank you. So that wasjeremy select committee. Thank you. So that was Jeremy Corbyns select committee. Thank you. So that wasJeremy Corbyns response to the chancellors budget. Lets just to into a bit more detail. The striking thing about the budget is how much it adds to public spending. Just looking at some figures in the current year, another 18 billion, rising to 40 billion by the final Financial Year of this parliament. Going up from 36, to 38 to 41 and almost 42. We are not clear how it will be financed, but it represents huge increases in public spending through this parliament. Both for current spending, notjust through this parliament. Both for current spending, not just for the Public Investment, the infrastructure investment, that the government has made so much of. Lets look at where some of this money is going. £30 billion is in is fiscal stimulus to support the economy during the Coronavirus Crisis. That is to help Small Businesses and people on sick pay and so on. To help companies with cash flow and deferring taxes. 600 billion for Infrastructure Spending over the course of the parliament. A big chunk of that was already in the plans. But the chancellor has announced more to be spent. Business rates are to be suspended for a year for Small Businesses in retail, leisure and hospitality. That is an anti coronavirus measure. Fuel duty is frozen, along with alcohol duty. The chancellor was under pressure to increase fuel duty. I suspect the chancellor has looked at the experience of the french government and the gilets jaunes when they increased fuel duty in france. More headlines, the economy is forecast to grow by1. 1 headlines, the economy is forecast to grow by 1. 1 this year. Rising to 1. 8 in 2021. These are the obr forecasts, and do not take into account the coronavirus and so are probably already historical. 1. 8 by 2021 would have been a punchy growth forecast and the environment today where most Major Economies other than america are struggling to get over 1 . Forecast it to. 1 of gdp in the current Financial Year, rising to just under 3 in the current Financial Year, rising tojust under 3 in in the current Financial Year, rising to just under 3 in 2021 to 2022 but the borrowing forecast do not take account of the raft of spending measured current and investment that the chancellor announced today. Inflation forecasted to be about 1. 4 in 2020, rising to1. 8 in forecasted to be about 1. 4 in 2020, rising to 1. 8 in 2021, still below and its at least a downturn on the horizon but the economies in greater danger of deflation than any inflation, and of course this extra money the chancellor announces has consequences for scotland, wales and for the Northern Ireland executive who will all get their share of this extra spending. Just coming back to the coronavirus and what the chancellor announced there, 1 billion to help those on benefits and the most vulnerable during this outbreak. Businesses with fewer than 250 employers will see statutory sick pay refunded for a particular period and there will be statutory sick pay available for all of those asked to self isolate, even if they do not have symptoms. This is part of the £30 billion antivirus package. On the infrastructure, the words of the government likes to talk about, 27 billion of strategic investment in roads and motorways that the government has announced an 5 billion for state of the art broadband in the most remote areas. That was in the conservative ma nifesto. That was in the conservative manifesto. Not much talk before the budget about housing but the chancellor has announced a £12 billion programme for Affordable Homes, and a lot of that will go to social housing, not just homes, and a lot of that will go to social housing, notjust the councils, Housing Associations as well. And a very Important Development here, there will be a £1 billion safety fund to remove dangerous cladding from high rise building. Here we are taking a particular interest in that because we are broadcasting a film about how individuals did not have the money to re m ove individuals did not have the money to remove the cladding which is clearly a danger to them but the chancellor has come up with a response to that. A number of measures for business. £22 billion now in annual investment in research and develop in. That is government money into r d, and the Big Companies have their own budgets for r d and the chancellor boasted it would be the highest for some time if not the highest ever in britain. Entrepreneurs relief, you are thinking that conservative government likes entrepreneurs, if only the french had a word for entrepreneur. Its a lifetime limit going down from 1 million down to 10 million £10 million down to £1 million, as it will be concentrated on the not so wealthy and setting an example of this kind of blue collar conservatism. And £3000 of cash gra nts to conservatism. And £3000 of cash grants to businesses entitled to Small Business rate relief. Again, helping Small Companies who begin with will bear the brunt of the Coronavirus Crisis. On Climate Change, the chancellor announcing 1 billion investment for Green Transport solutions and a new plastics packaging tax introduced from april 2022 and this had been well trailed before as spending was to double on flood defences, particularly for the north of england to over £5 billion and this will cover over 360,000 homes at risk of flooding. There will be a £640 million fund for protecting and expanding woodlands and peat bogs, should you so wish to expand peat bogs. Some tax and benefit changes. The tampon tax has been a favourite of the brexiteers and they said they couldnt do it as long as we were in the eu but there will now be no vat on womens sanitary products from april onwards. Vat on digital publications are scrapped from december and if you are a newspaper, there is no vat on print but there is there is no vat on print but there i5 vat there is no vat on print but there is vat if you subscribe digitally on the chancellor will get rid of that. That was a surprise. National insurance threshold, well trailed, you will now not stop paying National Insurance until you hit £9,500. At the moment it isjust a little over £8,600. And there is a 296 little over £8,600. And there is a 2 stamp duty surcharge for non uk residents from 2021. So that gives you a flavour of this budget. By no means a comprehensive list, and there is more in it. Lets go round to dissecting it. Laura questioned what this is an enormous budget both in terms of the scale of the stimulus for the coronavirus and trying to stave off economic emergency with what could be health emergency. But also the boldness with which we saw a conservative chancellor make the case that borrowing huge amounts of money to spendin borrowing huge amounts of money to spend in the public realm and that to be the right way to look after the economy. Year in recent times the economy. Year in recent times the conservatives have argued the opposite to this. If we go back to 2010 this would have been the stuff of George Osbornes nightmares but today, we have seen a completely different approach and somehow the chancellor appears to be able to do this within the roles he set himself, in terms of his own self imposed spending limits and we will look very carefully at that. We are not sure that is the case. Exactly. Politically it is bold, audacious and Jeremy Corbyn said it was brass neck but labour can say we told you so and you should have been doing this years ago but the government isnt going to be bothered about that. This is a huge budget and from a new chancellor who i have to say looked very nervous, and who can blame him, but by the end seems to be in his stride and very determined that he was really going to make a mark here. The eye catching thing we talked about was what Small Businesses would do about the coronavirus threat and there was quite a lot in there. The most eye catching for me was the idea that the government said four businesses with fewer than 250 employees, they would refund the entire cost of statutory sick pay for a two week period and that they say is up to £2 billion. They said they would beef up their time to pay hot so people are struggling to pay their tax bills, and there was an extension of a cut in Business Rates, Small Businesses with a rateable value of 51,000 on the premises were getting a discount of 50 but he has got it 100 and the icing on the cake, was a Small Business grant of up to £3000 from a cash giveaway. If this is not enough, have another £3000. That is a cash giveaway to businesses who are eligible for those small Business Rates relief and they cost about £2 billion as a cash injection and they think 700,000 Small Businesses will benefit so theres quite a bit on offer there and hopefully this will get them vast majority of Small Businesses through the worst of the challenges ahead. And it all depends how long it lasts. But they have certainly responded with a big gesture and we will see if it is enough. Faisal islam, this is a whole new macroeconomic framework, a whole new way of looking at tax and spend. Two different budgets, simon was talking about, the coronavirus dinners package which in and of itself. That would have been a big one in rob itself there is this thing called a scorecard which adds up and at the bottom typically in this period where chancellors have not got budgets through, they have been small numbers, but this tops up to 175 billion over five years and 50 billion in the last two years in terms of the fiscal giveaway. Is that capital and current . It is more current than capital which is more interesting and there were a few revenue races that offset that, intriguingly the brexit dividend as the government because it but also the government because it but also the Corporation Tax promise. So that accumulates to 6 billion. The big thing is borrowing and we are talking over £100 billion a year extra in borrowing that was forecast than the stated forecast from three or four months ago. That is a huge numberand that or four months ago. That is a huge number and that question we have been asking in the studio for the past ten years, where is it coming from, it is coming from massive amounts of borrowing and the labour party is properly sick as a parrot looking at this although the plans we re looking at this although the plans were much larger, even this is that they have turned on a sixpence and making a different argument to the one they made the last ten years. The number of confirmed cases across the uk of coronavirus has risen to 466. That is quite a big rise in one day. The number of patients who have died after testing positive remains unchanged at six. Soak 370 cases, six fatalities connected to it. We wondered where the money was coming from and we pretty much know but it is the bond markets. Well, certainly for the investment spending but this is very much in line with what was promised in the manifesto. They heard the promises on roads and all sorts of other things. The two big challenges for the government on that first to spend it that quickly because this really is record levels by uk standards. The only time we spend this amount before is when we had massive amounts of Nationalised Industries so in modern times this is the highest level. Because going back to the 605 and 705, included investment in british steel, british leyla nd, investment in british steel, british leyland, the National Grid and the energy companies. In a sense its a modern British State that will take it to its highest sustained level ever, essentially, so one challenge is to get that much out the door that quickly and the other is to make sure you spend it well. Not all Infrastructure Spending is good spending. The other kind of surprise, that it wasnt really a surprise, that it wasnt really a surprise and that was well trailed, but the other surprise is that they appear to have been able to find significant additional spending for current spending, day to day spending on health in schools and those kinds of things. It looks like the obr has been more upbeat on the economy than they might have been expected to be, giving the benefit from. But before the virus business we we re from. But before the virus business we were talking about 2 growth. That is a big chunk. Looking at the spending numbers big reduction on they are going to pay on debt interest and a continued slide in the amount that the government has to pay for its borrowing which is helping, but it was striking listening to the chancellor saying that we are managing to increase spending at twice the rate of the growth of the economy, and that is obviously not something you can do forever, because in the end you can only do it in line with the growth in the economy, so hes taking advantage of some of these happy coincidences, particularly on debt interest. There is some money there. Because Interest Rates are so low. And they have moved money from European Union funding into the direct departmental zone. Stick with us if you can, because we will now go tojesse us if you can, because we will now go to jesse norman, us if you can, because we will now go tojesse norman, the financial secretary to the treasury and he joins us from the palace of westminster. And we will asking some questions, and i will begin and feel free to chip in, team. The obr at the moment on its forecast says that you can meet yourfiscal targets, your fiscal sort of constraints, self imposed, the one you put in the tory manifesto, but once youve done all the spending, you cant do that, can you . Im sorry . Once youve done all the spending outlined with the coronavirus, you cant do that. No, i dont think that is true at all. Youve got two aspects to the budget, the budget as was prepared and been under way for some time, and been under way for some time, and then youve got the overlay of the emergency measures on coronavirus and the obr has been placed in a difficult situation in that at some dew point he will have to work out what the overall stimulus effect was of the two of them together, but as presley set out, the obr are showing we will be able to borrow within the physical limits, and whats interesting is as you might recall, there is a lot of spec elation beforehand that the chancellor would be jettisoning fiscal rules or rethinking them and he hasnt done that at all, hes played it straight by the book and the iss and others will want to look at the numbers, and thats absolutely right, but at the moment it looks like that is an affordable and sustainable package. Ifs. You are playing by the book because you havent counted everything. Its easy to do that if you havent counted up the stuff the chancellor announced today. When the obr comes back to look at it will look at the stimulus effect as well as the actual cash effect and they will have to calibrate that through the scorecard, through that period and work out what the effects of that will be, and of course, paul would be the first person to agree that a reflation read budget does not look out of place at the moment giving all the other stranger on the world economy, euro zone growth, the coronavirus and the rest giving all the strains. For years youve been telling us we could not borrow more and we had to burrow down and you are worried about the reaction of the bond market and that the people who lend us money might stop lending us money. And suddenly, all that has gone. Suddenly it is spend, spend, spend. I dont think that is true. After 2010 there was a serious problem. The problem was we were borrowing unprecedently high amounts relative to the amount of money we were taking in. We were running a huge deficit and debt as a result of the effects of the financial crash was accelerating very fast. So the fundamental question there was, was the government in control of the National Finances . And again, the government in control of the nationalfinances . And again, Anyone Around your table will confirm, that the problem with the 2008 crash was not so much it happened, but that the country was so over leveraged and the effects were catastrophic. There was a period of remedying that and trying to take control of the National Finances, and trying to take control of the nationalfinances, maintain and trying to take control of the National Finances, maintain growth and of course astonishingly the country has had ten years of growth and the now is the time to start investing and these low Interest Rates m ea ns investing and these low Interest Rates means if we can build the right quality of investment, and thatis right quality of investment, and that is a serious issue to raise and one we will be looking at, then we should be able to use that money for profitable public and economic good. Faisal . Im interested that the net investment was a 3 limit that the previous chancellor set, this seems to bea previous chancellor set, this seems to be a target, 3 almost every year of the parliament. Does that not represent a loosening of the target that you were elected on . It is already isnt a loosening, because the target is being met. It is true it is an ambitious budget, that is for the reasons we have described, i think appropriately so. When you think appropriately so. When you think of the problem we have, the obr i5 think of the problem we have, the obr is scoring the government positively for an improvement in productivity. That is the Biggest Issue in the Economic Growth story of the next ten or 20 years. It says the obr that there is a 60 chance you wont hit your current spending fiscal rule, 60 . I mean, ithink robert chote, i recall him telling me that the obr cant stand by eve ryo ne me that the obr cant stand by everyone of its forecasts. That is it is overall judgment. Everyone of its forecasts. That is it is overalljudgment. It doesnt reflect how policy may change. Laura keunssberg season Jeremy Corbyn right to say you have a lot of brass neck, Interest Rates have been low for a very long time. Its not sudden the situation, it is not so long again theresa may said there was no magic money tree and you found a whole forest today . No, we have to separate what the spending effect is in current terms. And what the opportunity the government has identified is the capacity to go further in all these areas. The area im most excited about is the local roads settlement, it is notjust about potholes, but treating roads as an asset. And there are counties and cities up and down the country that will be rejoicing in this long term approach. And an approach which i think will not encounter a lot of inflation, because local roads are not difficult to fix, they just need more investment. How would you describe the change, it is a significant change. The adam smith institute said you were spending like drunk, sailorings. It is a change of approach. It is a different approach and we have seen change in our climatic conditions in the last two years and we have seen the last two years and we have seen the flooding and the effects of carbon and dirty air and all of those are sitting behind a desire to put an ambitious Green Package in front of people and transform by levelling up different parts of country. That is why we are investing in fe colleges. Such an important and underregarded part. We have a good fe college in hereford in the college and it is a fantastic. Investment and we will be able to benefit in that, as many other fe colleges will. In drawing up other fe colleges will. In drawing up the budget, what assumption have you made about the length of the Economic Impact of the coronavirus . Well, the chancellor said that this is designed to be a targeted set of measures at what he expects to be a temporary phenomenon. You know, i dont think anyone knows in a world of radical uncertainty how temporary it will be, and we have seen different feedback, as to how long it lasted, but the underlying the message, the government will look after people and keep them safe and protect from the economic effect is plain. If we need to sustain that, we will do that. Simon jack . I wonder on the support for, following on that question, about the impact on that question, about the impact on Small Businesses, a number of measures which recognise that they are very vulnerable, a lot of people having asking me what about t self employed and given businesses will be challenged this year, what help will you give them when theyre facing preparation for what many will consider a hard version of brexit and they will have to hire customs agents and have additional paperwork, it is difficult to say to them at this moment, stop whingeing about that, get on with it. The government hasnt been saying that. We have been supporting Small Business. You will have seen the language about the reduction in Business Rates for retail and there are other measures on businesses affected by coronavirus. When you get to brexit, we have invested significantly in customs because we are trying to anticipate a demand that Small Businesses will need, who have traded with the eu and will wa nt to have traded with the eu and will want to continue doing so. As someone who wrote a book on adam smith, in some ways the founder of Market Economics, are you happy to be in Market Economics, are you happy to beina Market Economics, are you happy to be in a government that is. About to embark on the biggest sustained growth in the size of the state . In recent times . I dont need to tell a scholar of adam smith such as yourself, what he thought. But smith was concerned, yourself, what he thought. But smith was concerned , as yourself, what he thought. But smith was concerned, as hume was, about debt and the effects of debt in the economy. But he was no. Youre increasing debt. That is why im. And youre increasing the size of the state. That is why im mentioning it, sustainably. What is excited there are measures to level up excited there are measures to level up markets in a way that smith would have approved of. Look at our Digital Services tax and entrepreneurs relief, removing it from people who have not been using it properly and look at the the investment in creating other public goods, whether investment or science and technology, i think smith in a properfrugal and technology, i think smith in a proper frugal scots way would have approved 0. I was trying to get you to address the fact that the state will expands under your government. Faisal. What happens to fixing the roof while the sun is shining . You have deficits that were tending down to zero, now sort of 3 , 2 , going out into the future. And at the same time, a plausible possibility of another shock coming if as your government policy suggests, we could get tariffs and no trade deal by the end of the year. 3 deficit, no trade deal, how is that looking to the International Markets . Well, there is no doubt that careful judgment has had to be exercised as to whether this was a sustainable package. But you have to look at the alternatives, if you have an economy thatis alternatives, if you have an economy that is slowing down and not generating revenue and taxes on which Public Services rely, then of course you are running a risk and of course you are running a risk and of course you are running a risk and of course you have got the incidental risks associated with flooding and coronavirus and the wider trends of the eurozone. Those coronavirus and the wider trends of the eurozone. Those are. Coronavirus and the wider trends of the eurozone. Those are. You could have done this this some of the long Term Investments take years. You could have done it two years og or three years ago when Interest Rates were still low f i do think is a widespread understanding that markets are funding us and having looked at the situation it is appropriate to take advantage of that. One thing you will need to look at when it come out will be the National Infrastructure strategy which looks at how you can structure and phase that investment so it is sustainable and makes the productivity gains we are looking for. Thank you very much. Paul johnson is still with us. If a government had tried to do this five, six, seven years ago, we would have said, the bond markets wont wear it, the bond vigilantes will get you. Now nobodys saying that. The bond vigila ntes get you. Now nobodys saying that. The bond vigilantes are dead. This money will be. Borrowed and the markets will provide it. And they will probably be grateful that if you lend to the british government, you lend to the british government, you still get a positive yield on your investment. Unlike germany . Yeah, there is an interesting chart in the red book showing the gilt year old that the government has to pay for its debt, going down over time and notjust in 2010, but since 2010. Borrowing has got cheaper and cheaper. It is worth remembering that we have gone through in a sense phases of this with this government, so remember back to 2010, George Osborne was saying, ok, to borrow to investment thatis saying, ok, to borrow to investment that is where we have got back with rishi sunak. He was investing less. Except he is investing more. On these numbers, we are looking at a deficit knocking on for twice as big as forecast and bigger still compared with forecasts under George Osborne. You said before the budget, if he wanted to do what h was on the cards, he would have to put taxes up. He is not doing that. The other thing we have to pick out in the obr document, government revenues are rising by 1 over five years, as spending is rising by 1 . So there is some extra money coming in possibly associated with growth or associated with fiscal drag, but also some of the tax rises that you have seen there. So there is a sort of somewhere in there, there are some more tax revenues coming in. There are hints about environmental taxes, but for some viewers who have heard tory politicians saying this is reckless, if youre watching, should people think, this is risky, what are they doing or what is your view should people feel reassured . think there are risks around spending the money sensibly. That is a lot of money to chuck out the door in building things and we dont a lwa ys in building things and we dont always get that right. I dont there isa always get that right. I dont there is a risk in the short run, because the Interest Rates are so low and lower than three or four years ago. It does still look to be consistent with the fiscal rules that the conservatives went to the country with back in december. Unpicking how they have managed is something we will be doing. The chancellor said also i want to review the rules from where we are. The last thing that is worth saying, there is so much uncertainty around this. We are talking as if the coronavirus wasnt happening. Now the chancellor has said what i want to do in the short run is spend a lot of money trying to ensure that that only has a temporary short run effect, but very often however ha rd temporary short run effect, but very often however hard you try, they have a longer term effect, if some businesses go under and it may turn out that things look more difficult than the numbers underlying this budget. The shortterm measures become permanent scars. What we dont know of the impact and the government doesnt know, no one knows, what the impact is, if it is v shaped decline and we go down quickly and come back quickly, that is what the government is hoping. Or is what the government is hoping. Or is it going to be. A u, which could a technical recession, but maybe after two quarters you go, or as someone said before we came on air, is ate bathtub. Do we go down and dont come up. What goes down must come up. On the v versus u debate, for businesses like high streets and retailers, coffee shops, if this does go on for a long time and you self isolate, you dont come straight back and buy ten bacon sandwiches. Thank you pauljohnson. Im looking forward to the ten bacon sandwiches. We are looking forward to your detailed mps talking a lot about the tone of that budget from the chancellor, starting of course in a pretty solemn way talking about what is to come, and solemn way talking about what is to come, and i think people were left in no doubt about whats coming when it comes to coronavirus. Then of course, the second part of it if you like, which is the longer term elements he introduced, lets speak to the snps drew hendry who is with me now. First of all in coronavirus, lots of help from small and medium sized businesses and people on low pay, how will that impact workers in scotland and businesses . We have already introduced the Small Business bonus for the majority of businesses in scotland dont pay rates at the moment. Some of the other measures will help. What would have liked to see today is some real measures that would have stimulated the tourist economy. We were looking for a cut the tourist economy. We were looking fora cut in the tourist economy. We were looking for a cut in vat for tourism and that hasnt emerged. For further measures for employers national insurance contributions and they havent come through either. There are some things that will help in a way but some of the big issues havent been tackled, particularly the elephant in the room which is of course brexit and the implications for scottish business with the new migration system which is really going to harm businesses across scotla nd going to harm businesses across scotland in terms of attracting the workers that they need to operate properly. And of course other measures, as i say, to support our economy, through frictionless trade that will be lost through brexit. The longer term measures, though, you as an Opposition Party have been calling for a long time for greater spending and thats certainly what hes saying hes going to do. Actually the consequentials for scotla nd actually the consequentials for scotland today for scotland have already been baked into the Scottish Governments budget, there is no real surprise in terms of the money thats coming to scotland for those kinds of spending commitments. What we really needed to see was action on some of the things that havent been done in the past, but havent been done in the past, but havent been addressed, such as justice for the women who were born in the 19505 who have been cheated out of their pensions and are getting nothing in there. You saw Ian Blackford today calling for the statutory sick pay rate to go up to european levels. Thats not happened to help people today. There is a lot more that could have been done in this budget. But the real big issue of tackling brexit hasnt been done. Nor has the cumulative £14 billion cut to the Scottish Government since 2010 thats been imposed by the tories. There hasnt been a dent on that at all. Your view is the austerity measures over the last few years are not counteracted by what has gone on today . Not today. You can say there are some measures that will go some way in the short term. It is billions of pounds extra in current spending and capital spending. you look at those billions of pounds, set against the £14 billion that has been cut since 2010 for scotland, it doesnt stand up to any kind of real measure in terms of making a real difference on austerity in scotland. Also, i dont think we have seen measures that will really help people at the sharp end, the poverty end of the scale, with universal credit still having that of a staging effect on people not being able to claim it right away and having to go into loans and not being able to pay their rent. We are not seeing any of those measures to tackle poverty in the budget. Those are the things people really need. There are measures that will help along the way. But the real impact on society has not been dealt with in this budget. Some people will say, looking at today and looking at these large numbers, and no one is doubting that this is a shift, it is a shift in approach by a conservative government, talking about borrowing not just a conservative government, talking about borrowing notjust to invest but to fund current spending, some will say listening to you it is never going to be enough. will say listening to you it is never going to be enough. I will give you one example, there was some welcome money for Carbon Capture utilisation and storage today, 100 million for the many clusters looking forward and we support and welcome that. But to put it into perspective, there was £1 billion taken away from peterhead alone on one Carbon Capture project in 2015. You can welcome some of these things coming in but they dont go anywhere near replacing the damage that has already been done by this tory government and the measures are not really going to hit home to people in our communities across scotland where they need it most. Ok, drew hendry, thank you very much indeed, the view from the snp. I think we will have a similar message from opposition parties who say you cant just forget the last decade, what has gone before. Studio thanks for that. Straight to wakefield and simon mccoy. Andrew, thank you very much, in wakefield, part of the red line at the last general election breached by borisjohnson and the conservatives, they havent won here since 1931. As the chancellor announced enough money and is going to the right places . Lets find out. You will have seen them earlier, im joined by kelly hucknall from citizens advice, jacqui smith, an events organiser with wakefield mum buller, margaret wood, founder of icw, specialist window manufacturer, and idol christie, managing director at arcade us and also part of the northern powerhouse. I will start with you, the money for coronavirus, you expressed concerns about sick pgy you expressed concerns about sick pay. Has he addressed that . We welcome the support for covering the cost of sick pay and welcome changes confirming that people will be eligible for sick pay if they self isolate and they will get quicker benefits if claiming employment support allowance. But there are a few things missing for us here. We have not seen the widening of eligibility for sick pay who earn too little currently and those who need to claim universal credit are not seeing anything around a speeding up of their payments, so a few things missing there, but some welcome action as well. I have lots of questions for all of you but i havent got time. Im just going to ask you all what you made of it. From our perspective we we re you made of it. From our perspective we were delighted to see the devolution deal for West Yorkshire, credible start, we are looking for more deals moving forward. You will get your own mare. And the investment in northern rail, he didnt mention bradford, he mentioned leeds to manchester, Bradford City centre is important in that. And the final one, Carbon Capture, great to see clean energy is coming into the region. Coronavirus, your suppliers, many of them come from italy. Absolutely. It is really what we need to see and it has been short on detail in this budget, what happens after coronavirus. Business creates wealth, it createsjobs, homes and community. What we want to see is that infrastructure put in that makes the connectivity for people that work for us and Going Forward business creates wealth, governments spend it. So let business create the wealth so that the new chancellor can spend it and spend it in the right direction, and get us levelled up, as has been said. Vicki, talking about parents this, what will be their reaction . One thing coming out of wakefield from parents was childcare and we havent heard anything on childcare today. That is certainly something we would like to hear more about if it is going to come. But definitely, it is a bit of a disappointment at not having that childcare and early years money into it. Was this a more important budget than you expected . It. Was this a more important budget than you expected . A lot of money has been announced. One of my observations would be we didnt talk a lot about skills investment, we talked about early years, we talked about students coming through to 1619, but about students coming through to 16 19, but we got the investment right now and we need the skills to deliver it smartly. We need smart investment, lots of money to spend well and we need skills. And we need the businesses to employ those skills and thats so important Going Forward. We have not seen new businesses want to start up, and again thats important for the future, and for the future generations. The issue of worry over coronavirus, sick pay, two weeks where the government will support you, what difference is that going to make to people do you think . The two weeks is money to support businesses to make sure that they can businesses to make sure that they ca n afford businesses to make sure that they can afford to pay that sick pay for people. And it should give some people. And it should give some people some Financial Security to know if they do have to self isolate and stay at home that they are not going to get behind on bills and the like. Sick pay crucially is only £94 a week, so actually it is not going to go that far for people and we would have liked to have seen more support for people in that space. Lets face it, that will not cover much rent, food and bills, gas or electricity. You are nodding away. We want to see the regeneration of the north. We started the third industrial revolution, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is coming along with the Digital Economy is. What we need to be is empowered to make it happen and the northern people are very resilient. They are resilient to coronavirus and Everything Else thats going on. Give us the tools and let us make it happen. There were lots of promises at the general election. Are they delivering . As i said it is a credible start, we have a northern minister in our chancellor and he clearly sees we have got to level up andl clearly sees we have got to level up and i think this is the beginning of and i think this is the beginning of a rebalance. Ithink and i think this is the beginning of a rebalance. I think there and i think this is the beginning of a rebalance. Ithink there is and i think this is the beginning of a rebalance. I think there is a lot more to be done in the region but certainly green shoots coming through for the region where we can see directly impacting cash into this region. A broad welcome cosmic is that a Fair Assessment . Yes, i think so. We can never go back to what was, what we have got to do is look forward and move on. We have got Younger Generations coming through. So lets make it happen. We have talked about Carbon Capture. We have talked about Carbon Capture. We have talked about climate. So that is important, its important to the Younger Generation for the future. As an older generation, ive got to help and support and make that happen. Thank you all very much for joining us. Some optimism, talk of green shoots even, thats the view here in wakefield. Back to you, andrew. Studio thanks, simon. In london we arejoined andrew. Studio thanks, simon. In london we are joined by anneliese dodds, the shadow treasury spokesperson. A budget full of measures. Is there any one you disagree with . It was pleasing to see a recognition that we have an enormous infrastructure gap that needs to be filled. Of course the chancellors announcements are not dealing with that enormous 192 billion gap created since 2010 but at least there is an acknowledgement that needs to change. I have to say in other areas of public spending i was anticipating we would have some more information. There will be a Spending Review at some point of course. In the summer and then a second budget in the autumn. Yeah, quite, but in big areas like social ca re quite, but in big areas like social care Work Services are already strained, i was hoping that we would have more from the chancellor and we had to wait for his whole speech to be overfor him just had to wait for his whole speech to be over for him just to say, we will be over for him just to say, we will be coming back to that big challenge. I really hope that government is looking at this more seriously because particularly right now it is crucial. But my question was, what has he announced that you disagree with . That i disagree with, overall, hes effectively requiring the tax system to do a lot of work for him. I would like to see a government that really fought for britains corner on issues like whiskey restrictions, for example. You have a chancellor saying ok. He has frozen the duty. He has frozen the duty and applied it to all spirits but he hasnt said what his government will do to get rid of that punitive approach from the us. He has no more control over american ta riffs he has no more control over american tariffs than you or me. He doesnt his government could be arguing more forcefully surely for our producers and instead he is using the tax system to deal with that issue with all the Public Health implications that we have. He doesnt control the white house, he controls the british tax system. His colleagues in the trade department and the Prime Minister could have been engaging more forcefully on this issue, as on others. You asked what i disagreed with and im saying the tax system. I was asking what measures you disagree with. The obr has described this as the biggest sustained giveaway in 30 years. I will say that again, the biggest sustained giveaway in 30 years. His ta nks sustained giveaway in 30 years. His tanks onto your lawn. Well, hes certainly making up, as i mentioned before, for some of the gap, both in terms of Infrastructure Spending and also in relation to consumption spending, spending on Public Services, not so much on Social Security, i have to say, apart from in the short term to deal with people who might be affected by the coronavirus. Is this going to deal with that massive Living Standards squeeze we have seen over the last ten years . Not very clear that it will. Even on that, you are quite right, average pay has now onlyjust returned in real terms to where it was in 2007. In real terms it is actually £1 more awake than it was. But when you take into account, taking people out of tax altogether and other tax cuts and now the National Insurance, he is now moving on to command also now that wages are rising than inflation, now, it could all change because of the virus, could go into recession and all bets would be off, but at the moment we are back in an age of rising Living Standards. We finally are. What many people watching will be saying is we have had ten years. We have had this discussion in many other countries. Thats the biggest giveaway in ten years according to the obr. Finally, we have some catch up the obr. Finally, we have some catch up on some of these areas but not all. We won the argument, would be the best aligned to save for labour. Finally there is a recognition from within government, that particularly when it comes to our public services, the resilience isjust not there. There are not the people on there. There are not the people on the ground to deliver some of what is needed. I think we saw it around the floods that we had recently. Hes announced 5 billion for that too. Well, he has done but its very interesting. And another 6 billion for the nhs. You look at what has happened to the maintenance of existing flooding infrastructure, the amounts going into yorkshire and the amounts going into yorkshire and the humber over recent years has actually been going down over time. Ijust wonder where this actually been going down over time. I just wonder where this leaves labour. He is increasing the National Minimum wage to £10 50 p. He has increased the National Insurance threshold before you start paying National Insurance to 9500. He is putting 22 billion r and d, government r and d, 6 billion more on top of what he into the nhs for the nhs, on top of what it will get for the coronavirus. It is over 100 billion in current spending alone, i think im right in saying, in this parliament, plus all the infrastructure. It would seem that what they have done, whether they can pay for it all and how they do it is another matter, but it would seem the strategy is notjust to move to the centre right, notjust to move to the centre, it is actually to straddle the centre left with all this spending too. Im not sure i would go that far doesnt that leave labour with only the left to go to . Well, no, as i say, i wouldnt go that far and obviously i do welcome additional spending in many of those areas where it is desperately needed but lets look at some of those areas. For example, iran transport, of course it is good to see additional spending going in there. Around transport. We are seeing an unwillingness from government to take some critical decisions to make sure that some of that money doesntjust end up going to private companies. For example, round buses, additional money going on is great, but where is the impulsion from government to say bus companies have got to Work Together . Like they have been incidentally in london for ten years. Hasnt he got all these big city mayors to do that now . They havent got the powers, you have a mayor in liverpool, for example, who isnt even allowed to have a Registration Scheme for private landlords, he has been slapped down by Central Government and not allowed to do that, so it seems like this is very much controlled by whitehall and westminster, and really we need to have that, if its going to be called a levelling up, it has to be a levelling up of power as well as a little bit of additional in spending terms. Some of this may be frustrating for you because labour has been arguing for a long time that borrowing in order to invest and spend on the public fabric of the country is a good thing and the tories have said that is not good, there is no magic money tree. To be honest with our viewers, some of this getting your go to bed, Jeremy Corbyn said they had brass neck . M is frustrating, finally it has taken so long to have a recognition that we needed additional public spending and we needed a different approach to investment, within the chancels speech you will have heard he said there is a discussion going on about whether we should treat investment spending differently to consumption spending, spending on Public Service and staff every day. Thatd be bate didnt start five minutes ago, its been going on for the last ten yea rs, been going on for the last ten years, other countries learn from it and the uk didnt under tory led governments. This isntjust about borrowing, it is also about tax decisions. The chancellor could have got rid of entrepreneurs relief entirely but he didnt and he bottled it. He got rid of most of it. The ifs have said that he hasnt com pletely it. The ifs have said that he hasnt completely dealt with that relief. There is no review of reliefs. What he has done is he has stopped most of it going to the richest. This is a problem for you because here you have a tory government prepared to tackle something for entrepreneurs, tory governments used to dine out on entrepreneurs, now they have cut the cost of it from 6 billion down to one billion and thats a real problem for you. The point was that relief was not fostering entrepreneurial activity, in most cases it was just effectively tra nsfer cases it was just effectively transfer that was being provided to some people who are already very well off. Again, no change on income tax, very little change on Corporation Tax etc. If we are going to have a more sustainable approach to have a more sustainable approach to Public Services in the future we need that. In a similar vein, you said you wanted to pay. Talking about the coronavirus respond specifically, you said you want sick pay to be paid on day one and they did that. Where will the bill fall . We want government to help businesses deal with that burden. They did that. They went even further, they got rid of Business Rates entirely for Small Businesses. On top of it all, a £3000 cash grant to businesses that would qualify for small Business Rates to get them through this period, they have gone further than you have in tackling this. But on these questions, they have taken a short term approach. We can say of course it has to be short term in relation to coronavirus, but business is struggling with Business Rates and they didnt just start struggling from the beginning of this outbreak, they have been struggling for a long time. We have heard for a very long time. We have heard for a very long time from the current government that there will probably review Business Rates. They have just committed to get another one but have not said what the scope will be. They have not said whether that review will look at all local taxation or not. I think businesses will perhaps be saying, that is relief in the short term, relief thatis relief in the short term, relief that is necessary, i will not criticise it, i think its that is necessary, i will not criticise it, i think its positive. But where is the Long Term Plan . Because currently those businesses, as we all know, based in brick and mortar are paying much, much more tax than many of those digitally based companies and that shouldnt be the case. Your only regret was that they didnt put up taxes where they could . It is not my only regret, i also regret the fact they havent had a longer term approach to things in many different cases. This isntjoined to things in many different cases. This isnt joined up to things in many different cases. This isntjoined up in the way that it should be. And i particularly regret, as i say, the lack of any apparent ambition around one of the biggest challenges, as indeed the chancellor acknowledged at the end of his speech, of social care. Lets hear from faisal islam. Isnt the problem for you that it turns out to some degree you are right, the public was prepared for big estate, more infrastructure and investment, but with that comes a need for perceived even more competence than running the government with the sorts of services that it does at the moment and thats where your party hasnt been able to land it with the public . Ifi understood your question correctly, you were suggesting. A big estate requires more trust in the people that are running that state. Bigger state. Im sure that is correct to some extent although i think we are seeing the lack of trust are being created at the us with a relatively small state and what that does to coordination when it comes to a big challenge like the one we have at the moment. I mean obviously labour didnt win the last general election, i wish we had, we have got to learn from that and there were questions raised about our perceived competence across a range of issues. We have got to learn from that and ive been trying to do that. Let me move forward on this because i wonder your analysis, your narrative of the conservatives bears any resemblance to the truth. Here is a government presiding over substantial expansion of the state, huge Public Investment, everything from research and development to roads, taking people out of National Insurance altogether, investing in the north, introducing the highest minimum wage in western europe. Where does your partys narrative that this is a hard right thatcherite government fit in with this budget . I wouldjust thatcherite government fit in with this budget . I would just say, andrew, lets be aware of the hype. When you look at that Infrastructure Spending, as i said, it is not actually filling the gap that has been created over the last ten yea rs. Been created over the last ten years. If all you can say is it is not enough, thats what opposition is always so. Im not saying that. All i have heard from labour politicians has been that this is a ha rd politicians has been that this is a hard right, nasty, thatcherite government. Where is this budget a nasty, ha rd government. Where is this budget a nasty, hard right, thatcherite budget . I have to tell you, someone who knew Margaret Thatcher, she would have the vapours over a budget like this. She would have gone bonkers over a budget that did all this, borrowing all this. Where is the support there for the millions of people in our country who are not able to work for whatever reason, who have disabilities, for example . People who are not able to build up the number of hours such that work actually pays. Now, we didnt see, as part of this budget, and any help for those people. We saw changes around some of the procedures for Social Security, and of course that is to be welcomed, particularly now with this coronavirus outbreak. They havent been sold into slavery . would just like to ask people on this panel whether they feel they would be able to do what many of my constituents do, which is make 120 deliveries a day, classified as self employed, working for a delivery company. They can barely get through a three Hour Programme there is no need to ask them. Ill tell you, they couldnt anneliese dodds, we have run out of time, but they couldnt. That was the easiest question to answer all day. They could not do five deliveries a day, never mind 120. Lets go back to vicki young on College Green. Lets pick up on some of those things with the liberal democrats sarah olney who is with me now. When it comes to coronavirus, lots of measures announced by the chancellor, particularly for Small Businesses. Are you happy thats enough . I think it is right at this stage that they are taking the situation seriously, we are pleased to see the measures on statutory sick pay and the measures on tax relief and so on and so forth. There needs to be an Immediate Response to this crisis. I think my problem is just that there seems to be an Immediate Response to this crisis but the budget as a whole does not really address some of the long term problems we are going to be facing an short term crisis measures are fine for the coronavirus but not for the economy as a whole. Having said that, there is a definite shift here when it comes to public spending. An awful lot of the money rishi sunak was talking about is to go on current spending as well as huge infrastructure projects. Yes but its not the kind of spending that will put money back into the pockets of normal people tomorrow. What would you like to have seen him do . We hope would have liked a scrap on the two child limit on child benefit, that would have cost one billion and would have made a real difference to families all over the country immediately. We would have liked more adjustment to universal credit, particularly on the working allowa nces credit, particularly on the working allowances because that would have made a real difference to people. Those are the kind of measures, putting money back into peoples pockets that could stimulate the economy. What about longer term issues . Hes put forward a little extra money for the nhs on top of previous announcements. That is something your party has been calling forfor a long something your party has been calling for for a long time. That is welcome but only to make up for cuts that have taken place in the last five years and i think the coronavirus has you cant keep cutting and cutting Public Services. You need some resilience there so that Services Like the nhs can respond to these kinds of crisis. And when it comes to the green agenda, there are some ambitious Climate Change targets and some would think that goes against huge infrastructure projects, building more roads and the rest of it, but have you seen anything in todays budget which makes you relieved that they are on the right track when it comes to that . I think its very disappointing, they announced a lot more spending for road projects, which is probably right but there isnt enough to counter the additional Carbon Emissions that will cause. You would have wanted more taxes . We would like to have seen much more on the Carbon Capture and storage they announced, what they have announced doesnt go anywhere far enough. I would have personally liked to have seen much more about emissions from domestic homes, for example. There is lots that can be done with insulation and better building standards and there was nothing for that. Thats the sort of thing that could make a real difference to people because it could have reduced fuel bills. Thats the sort of thing where they are not grasping the metal at all. Sarah olney, thank you very much indeed. A lot of the opposition parties happy there is more spending, not necessarily thinking it is going on the right place. Studio thanks for that. We are coming to the final few minutes of the show, the panel is still here, indeed they are just getting into their stride, we could probably be here for another five hours. Their stride, we could probably be here for anotherfive hours. If there is any morkov think we may have to all self isolate. Youve been looking at a few details, laura. On the obr, the numbers which we know are already out of date, but in black and white, recession this year is quite possible if the spread of coronavirus causes disruption. We know that, it is quite something though to see it in black and white. To put it in an official document. Absolutely. Further into this, these numbers look ahead to the potential impacts. Buried in here there is a suggestion that in 2022 23, real household disposable income, basically the amount of money we feel able to spend, might actually be going down, as might productivity per hour. I say that only because those are two massive political priorities. And disposable income had been rising recently again. In real terms. It had been rising recently again. In realterms. It had been. This is massively subject to change, of course, but its interesting to see these things here in black and white. A lot more will come out of the woodwork in this budget, im sure of that. Two final thoughts, simon and then faisal islam. There will be no shortage of private contractors looking forward to helping the government spend all this money over the next five years. Out of the kindness of their hearts . This is a honey pot and there will bea this is a honey pot and there will be a lot of bees around it. To pick that up, i think the big infrastructure numbers, the big spending numbers, a lot of them are envelopes. A lot of the detail hasnt been spelt out. We have heard lots of measures but there is much more detail to come. It is the start ofa more detail to come. It is the start of a process in terms of infrastructure, they delayed the investor to review for a month or two and we will have the Spending Review too. They have kick started the process and given us the big numbers, which has led to big extra borrowing, but there is a lot more arguments to be had about this, especially when you overlay the changing trading conditions from brexit. And the heathrow policy, which means a lot of this money will come face to face with our planning laws. And Climate Change. Thats what i meant with heathrow. We thought we would get a down payment on this budget on some of the Climate Change objectives. It wasnt really there apart from the red diesel. And also, the government acknowledging that business is very vulnerable, they will also have to acknowledge there is quite a lot of brexit preparation to do as we come towards the end of the year. You have a weak economy, weakness in the sector, and the additional burdens of brexit preparation. That brings us to the end of this politics live budget special, big budget announced today, many, many measures, a change in strategy for the conservative government. They will be a lot to talk about and much more will come out in bbc news as the day goes on. But for us for the moment, thank you for joining but for us for the moment, thank you forjoining us on this budget special. And goodbye. Hello, youre watching afternoon live. The new chancellor delivers his first budget with measures to control the corona riots outbreak at its heart. Coronavirus. Control the corona riots outbreak at its heart. Coronavirus. The british people may be worried but they are not daunted. We will protect our people and country. We will rise to this challenge. He abolishes Business Rates for many firms in england, extended sick pay and boosts nhs funding by the labour leader says it is not enough. Todays budget was billed as a turning point, a chance to deliver,