The Prime Minister opened Cabinet
by recognising the achievements from last year, from halving
inflation to reducing small boat crossings by a third. He said
that as we enter a new year, we are going in the right direction,
but the Government must redouble its efforts to deliver on its
promises to the British public and seize opportunities to support
our prosperity.
The Prime Minister said the Government will be focussed in the
coming year on ensuring hard work is rewarded, that ambition and
aspiration are celebrated, and that families are supported with
young people given more access to the skills and opportunities
they need to succeed.
He said that as a result of the
Government’s work on the economy the Chancellor was now in a
position to cut taxes with a £450 cut for the average worker
coming in from last weekend.
The Foreign Secretary outlined
the significant global challenges that face the UK currently and
said 2024 will also be a year of elections, both in the UK but
also in the US, India, Pakistan, and Russia.
He reiterated that supporting
Ukraine would remain the UK’s main foreign policy priority and
that work would continue to help restore stability in the middle
east and to get more aid into Gaza.
The Chancellor spoke about how
the UK economy has outperformed expectations this year. Inflation
has more than halved, growth has been more resilient than
expected and debt is forecast to fall as a proportion of GDP. He
said we have turned a corner which allows the Government to start
cutting taxes in a responsible way, with the National Insurance
Contribution Cuts both good for people’s pockets but also helping
to get around 90,000 more people into work, helping businesses
fill their vacancies and further growing the
economy.
The Home Secretary set out the
Government’s work to stop the boats, from increased enforcement
raids, stepped-up work with the French and the returns deals
secured with Albania. He said the reduction in small boat
arrivals by a third last year – which bucks the trend
internationally – demonstrates that our approach is working, but
that we need a strong deterrent and to pass the Safety of Rwanda
Bill to finish the job and break the business model of the
criminal gangs.
Lastly the Prime Minister and
Health and Social Care Secretary reiterated their commitment to
continuing to deliver a faster, simpler, and fairer health
service, with more GP appointments, greater powers for
pharmacies, expanded patient choice and delivering the first
smoke free generation.
The Prime Minister concluded
Cabinet saying this would be a critical year and that Ministers
must continue their focus on delivering on the public’s
priorities.
