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Campaigners have urged the Chancellor not to let the UK “dawdle in the slow lane, on a path towards no growth and lower living standards”.
During his first speech as Chancellor at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, John Healey pledged his Budget would have “fiscal discipline” through its core, “to give families and businesses a bit of breathing space, to drive good growth and jobs in more places and to write a new chapter of hope for Britain’s future”.
And campaigners have highlighted the need for ministers to “take the brakes off Britain” and to “reclaim our seat at the heart of Europe”.
Naomi Smith, Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said:
“It’s time for the government to take the brakes off Britain: Brexit cut us off from our largest trading partners; damaged small businesses; drove up the cost of food and energy; and left us with a shrunken GDP. Without a strong economy, Labour cannot defeat the cost of living crisis, cut taxes, create jobs or fund the defence this perilous moment demands.
“Ahead of the Budget, Healey must ask himself if in ten years’ time, does he want the UK to be better off, or even poorer? A decade ago we were a far richer nation than we are today, making it all the more urgent that we do not dawdle in the slow lane, on a path towards no growth and lower living standards, but make the right – and essential – decisions today.
“Lasting relief requires lasting change. We cannot stand still, shackled by the past, and keep on avoiding the choices necessary for our country to thrive. That is why this Government must take the brakes off Britain, supercharge our economy with a transformational £92bn – at the very least – and reclaim our seat at the heart of Europe.”