A full bulletin of news at the top of the hour. Now on bbc news, newscast. Chris, we have got a Cabinet Minister to keep us company this episode. Yes. Mel stride, work and pensions secretary, hello. Good evening, adam. I am impressed you have got a crib sheet there already, started taking notes already. I have only written about three things down i promise it will be full by the end. Then we will mark your homework we will mark your homework like a Human Version of the obr i have got to ask you the big question that has become the classic interview question this week, after the Prime Minister s interview with grazia, do you make your own bed . No, but i do load the dishwasher. 0k. I do walk the dog. And mrs may would approve, i do take the bins out. Because that is a mansjob. So i do that as well. Chris, i want to know what you thought about that, seeing the Prime Minister talk about an unmade bed. After you had been talking to the nation about your unmade bed in that premier inn the o
British ice are tax Free Allowance to invest in uk listed companies. British isa tax Free Allowance. Moving on to the uk economy. The Office For Budget Responsibility predicts uk economy will grow by 0. 8 this year and 1. 9 next year. The uks Inflation Rate is also forecast to fall below 2 target this year. But the underlying debt, excluding Bank Of England debt, is forecast to be 91. 7 of gdp this year rising to 92. 8 next year. The government also kept a freeze on alcohol duty, which had been due to end in august, which will now continue until february 2025. There will be a new tax on vaping products to start in october 2026, and the existing tax on tobacco will increase. The chancellor says is in order to maintain the financial incentive to choose vaping over smoking. 0n transport and energy, the government has frozen the fuel duty again and kept the 5p cut in fuel duty on petrol and diesel, due to end later this month for another year. A windfall tax on the profits of energy firms,
Todays budget might have left you with a bit more money in your pocket but some of the Public Services you rely on will face big Spending Cuts. So is it a vote winner . Mr chancellor of the exchequer. Cheering it was the last Spring Budget before the next election. Tonight well interrogate Whyjeremy Hunt made the announcements he did. And interrrogate one of his treasury ministers. Overall, the tax burden is going up. Correct . The tax burden is still too high, overall. Absolutely. And its going up . Well also talk to labours Campaign Chief. Well talk live to representatives of business and Public Sector workers and our Politics Panel is here to help us decode it all and tell us when we might be going to the polls. Todays was a budget that was as much about what comes next as about what comes now. Theres another 2p cut in National Insurance that will kick in soon but theres also the growing realisation that whoever wins the next election, they will face a daunting choice either oversee
Economy and help families with permanent tax breaks. Labour will argue that any reductions will still leave people worse off because of the freezing of Tax Thresholds. Ben king reports. The background to todays budget has been gloomy, with the economy in recession. But it looks like the chancellor will still find room to cut taxes. The conservatives are trailing labour in the polls, and looking Forjeremy Hunt to give them some cheer in places like this, winchester, a seat the Lib Dems Hope to win. So what do people here think about tax cuts . I think it would be a good idea because it gives people more money to spend on what they want to buy. Realistically, people arent going to save that much money from a tax cut, whereas more money in Public Services means Better Health care services. Itsjust much more important. I would prefer not to have a tax cut, but to see more money invested in the community. If the Public Services were properly organised, theres more than enough money to do it