Spending Round 2019: McDonnell comment on Spending Review

Wednesday, 4 September 2019 15:17

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the government’s Spending Review, said: “The so-called headroom which the Chancellor’s predecessor put aside to prepare for Brexit seems instead to have been spent on preparing for a General Election. “But nobody could mistake this one-off pre-election stunt for a real end to a decade of austerity. “After years of slash and burn, today’s announcements add up...Request free trial

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the government’s Spending Review, said:

“The so-called headroom which the Chancellor’s predecessor put aside to prepare for Brexit seems instead to have been spent on preparing for a General Election.

“But nobody could mistake this one-off pre-election stunt for a real end to a decade of austerity.

“After years of slash and burn, today’s announcements add up to less than one third of the £47 billion of cuts this government has voted through since 2010. And the Chancellor offered nothing for social security where more cuts are still to come.

“The Tories have voted for austerity time and time again, you cannot trust them to end it.

“This short-lived government will be remembered for its unique combination of right-wing dogma and bumbling incompetence.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

	RDEL change since 2010 (IFS)	Real increase next year (Table A2)
Transport	-39.2%	11.4%
Culture	-10.8%	4.1%
Defence	-6.6%	1.8%
Education	-7.2%	3.3%
Home Office	-19.2%	6.3%
MHCLG: communities	-37.3%	2.7%
Justice	-27.9%	4.9%
DEFRA	-20.8%	3.3%

Labour’s last manifesto committed an additional £49 billion of day-to-day spending for public serviceshttp://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Funding-Britains-Future.pdf