2 hours agoShareSaveKate WhannelPolitical reporterShareSaveRachel Reeves has announced an extra £29bn per year for the NHS in England, along with funding boosts for defence and housing, as she set out the government’s spending plans until the end of the decade.The chancellor also promised more money for artificial intelligence and transport projects, saying “renewing Britain” was at the heart of her plans.But the Spending Review also saw some departments squeezed in day-to-day spending, including the Foreign Office and the environment department. Reeves said the review would deliver security, economic growth and “an NHS fit for the future”, but Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said it was a “spend now, tax later review”.He predicted “a cruel summer of speculation” ahead of the autumn Budget, when he said the chancellor would announce tax rises. Ahead of the chancellor’s announcement in the Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told his cabinet the day marked “the end of the first phase of this government, as we move to a new phase that delivers on the promise of change for working people”.The government will hope that, following a bumpy first year, increased spending in health and investment in longer-term projects will reassure voters but many departments will still have to grapple with frugal day-to-day spending allocations.The Spending Review marked the culmination of months of discussions between Reeves and her cabinet colleagues.Negotiations have been particularly drawn out with Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, with agreements not being reached until Sunday and Monday respectively. Rayner’s department secured £39bn across 10 years for social and affordable housing in England. The Home Office’s day-to-day budget will go down by 1.7% over the next three years but funding of police forces rises by 2.3% – provided local council taxes also increase. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said the increase would “cover little more than annual inflationary pay increases”. The chancellor also pledged to end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of the Parliament, expected in 2029. The BBC has been told that will be achieved by reducing the number arriving by small boats and building new accommodation for asylum seekers. The housing department has been given …
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nn2 hours agoShareSaveKate WhannelPolitical reporterShareSaveRachel Reeves has announced an extra £29bn per year for the NHS in England, along with funding boosts for defence and housing, as she set out the government’s spending plans until the end of the decade.The chancellor also promised more money for artificial intelligence and transport projects, saying “renewing Britain” was at the heart of her plans.But the Spending Review also saw some departments squeezed in day-to-day spending, including the Foreign Office and the environment department. Reeves said the review would deliver security, economic growth and “an NHS fit for the future”, but Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said it was a “spend now, tax later review”.He predicted “a cruel summer of speculation” ahead of the autumn Budget, when he said the chancellor would announce tax rises. Ahead of the chancellor’s announcement in the Commons, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told his cabinet the day marked “the end of the first phase of this government, as we move to a new phase that delivers on the promise of change for working people”.The government will hope that, following a bumpy first year, increased spending in health and investment in longer-term projects will reassure voters but many departments will still have to grapple with frugal day-to-day spending allocations.The Spending Review marked the culmination of months of discussions between Reeves and her cabinet colleagues.Negotiations have been particularly drawn out with Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, with agreements not being reached until Sunday and Monday respectively. Rayner’s department secured £39bn across 10 years for social and affordable housing in England. The Home Office’s day-to-day budget will go down by 1.7% over the next three years but funding of police forces rises by 2.3% – provided local council taxes also increase. The National Police Chiefs’ Council said the increase would “cover little more than annual inflationary pay increases”. The chancellor also pledged to end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of the Parliament, expected in 2029. The BBC has been told that will be achieved by reducing the number arriving by small boats and building new accommodation for asylum seekers. The housing department has been given …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
