IEA reacts to the Chancellor's Spring statement

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Spring statement Mark Littlewood, Director General at the Institute of Economic Affairs said: 

“The Chancellor has basically promised us “a little bit of jam tomorrow” in his Spring statement. The budget deficit is falling a little faster than expected, which is welcome. But he is likely to use some of this £4 billion bonus to simply increase state spending in the Autumn. Disappointingly, he didn’t signal any meaningful aspiration to cut taxes even if he has the room to do so.

“The forecast for growth this year has been turned up by a tiny notch, but this should not be allowed to distract from the vital objective of getting public finances under control and returning to balanced budgets. By easing off on this target, the Chancellor has all but guaranteed that we are destined to experience a quarter of a century of budget deficits, with increased debt being passed on to future generations as a result.”

Spring Statement 2018: what you need to know

Notes to editors: 

For media enquiries please contact Nerissa Chesterfield, Communications Officer: nchesterfield@iea.org.uk or 07791 390 268.

To read the IEA’s report, ‘Taxation, Government Spending and Growth’, published in November 2016 click here.

The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems and seeks to provide analysis in order to improve the public understanding of economics.

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