A budget that will define the next Half Decade under labour begins to take shape with more investment in big projects, more borrowing, and perhaps less of a Tax Rise than expected. And devastating israeli strikes on beirut actively targeting hezbollah s leadership, as Benjamin Netanyahu dashes back from the Un And Tehran holds emergency meetings. Where will this escalation take the region and the world . Good evening. This is newsnight, home to Insight And Analysis from home and abroad. Well discuss the emerging situation in the Middle East a little later, matters could develop as we are on air. Breaking news is that they hezbollah it senior leadership is unreachable following the israel strikes on the Beirut Southern Suburbs on thursday. We will discuss that later. But first a domestic Mid Conference political and economic stock take with our top panel. Anushka asthana, Itv News deputy political editor, author of taken as red, an Insider Account of Labours Ascent to power, zing tseng,
Announcements from the budget starting with tax. The chancellor has announced that National Insurance will be cut by another 2p. He says the cut which will begin next month is worth £450 a year for each worker. Mr hunt also announced. 0n taxes there will be a new tax on vaping products that will start in october 2026. The chancellor says thatis october 2026. The chancellor says that is to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking. The chancellor finished his statement by Attacking Labour for the economy. We statement by Attacking Labour for the economy the economy. We today put this country back the economy. We today put this country back on the economy. We today put this country back on the the economy. We today put this country back on the path the economy. We today put this country back on the path to the economy. We today put this | country back on the path to lower taxes. Allowed to grow the economy versus no plan. A plan to Better Public Services versus no p
Have all had to deal with unprecedented challenges. And i will be straight with you. We have mountains to overcome still. But today we have made three huge decisions to change the direction of our country. We will give britain the infrastructure it needs, protect the infrastructure it needs, protect the long term future of our nhs and cut cancer deaths by a quarter and create the best Education System in the Western World to set up our children for the opportunities of the future. If we commit, if we come together, we can achieve truly great things. We can build a country where work is truly valued, where welfare is a safety net are not a way of life, where Small Businesses drive our economy, where innovation makes life better, where our nhs is properly funded and properly reformed, where our children are the best educated in the Western World, whether that is at university, or yes, through an apprenticeship. Where the scourge of Anti Social Behaviour is treated as the crime it is not
as he s always said, labour say he won t commit to anything that cannot be funded in future. so that s, i guess, a sort of clarification from labour there just to kind of calm anyone who might have heard that and had any concerns. of course, there is another huge political race going on over the atlantic and last night we saw the first tv debate between joe atlantic and last night we saw the first tv debate betweenjoe biden and donald trump. let s get some more on that, i am joined by democratic strategist and former presidential campaign strategist to the republican party. thank you both very much for being here on bbc news. laura, ifi very much for being here on bbc news. laura, if i can start with you, we have seen a lot of reaction to joe you, we have seen a lot of reaction tojoe biden s performance described by some as panic. what would you say, what is your response to what you have seen? i say, what is your response to what you have seen? you have seen? i would call i