Relentless cuts won’t help Britain’s long-term economic prospects | Letters
One of the most potent dangers to our future is a simplistic, ideologically inspired dogma that is already wreaking havoc in many British citizens’ lives and that is set to test to breaking point the...
View ArticleWelcome to Austeria – a nation robbing its poor to pay for the next big crash...
It’s clear George Osborne intends to make austerity permanent. Those at the top will benefit, but hard times beckon for everyone elseA familiar dance begins on Wednesday, as soon as George Osborne...
View ArticleWe're addicted to growth - here are six ways to wean ourselves off
From corporate power to climate change – we must overcome many hurdles if we are to get off our broken economic treadmillSince the late 1970s humanity has been on a self-constructed economic treadmill....
View ArticleDeficit-reduction plan risks UK health and security, says John McDonnell
Shadow chancellor plans autumn statement response in which he will claim Osborne’s austerity is a political choice and the failure to invest risks long-term futureJohn McDonnell, the shadow chancellor,...
View ArticleBritain’s bloated defence spending is at odds with austerity | Letters
The contrast between the deep cuts to public services in the name of austerity and the increase in the MoD’s budget in the name of security could not be starker. (PM promises £12bn boost for defence...
View ArticleConsume more, conserve more: sorry, but we just can’t do both | George Monbiot
Economic growth is tearing the planet apart, and new research suggests that it can’t be reconciled with sustainabilityWe can have it all: that is the promise of our age. We can own every gadget we are...
View ArticleSpending reviews are just meaningless guesswork. They should be abolished |...
Don’t believe the hype – there’s nothing George Osborne will say in his autumn statement or spending review that will be of economic significanceGovernment spending. It’s hard to think of a more...
View ArticleGeorge Osborne's spending review – our writers' verdict | The panel
A bare-faced pitch at the centre ground, an exercise in ‘Lesser Awfulism’ – the panel reacts to Osborne’s big speechRelated: Autumn statement and spending review – the key points at a glanceRelated:...
View ArticleOBR lets George Osborne off the hook over tax credits
Official forecasts envisage more tax revenue, allowing chancellor a big U-turn in his autumn statement. The problem is OBR estimates are often proved wrongGeorge Osborne was able to pull not one but...
View ArticleWhat does the spending review look like?
The chancellor, George Osborne, today unveiled his Comprehensive Spending Review, outlining how he means to achieve a £20bn surplus by 2020. Find out where the axe will fall across all government...
View ArticleGeorge Osborne scraps tax credit cuts in welfare U-turn
Chancellor says in autumn statement that improvement in public finances means he is able to ditch controversial cutSpending review 2015 – as it happenedGeorge Osborne executed a U-turn on planned cuts...
View ArticleAutumn statement: Osborne isn’t fixing the roof, he’s eroding the foundations...
Ignore the chancellor’s escapology: George Osborne’s short-term deficit fixes are undermining our long-term economic stability and potential for growthLet’s start with the good news. In today’s...
View ArticleOBR hands lucky George Osborne a £27bn get-out-of-jail-free card
Office for Budget Responsibility now expects higher tax revenues and lower debt interest repayments, but new figures could be inaccurate tooGeorge Osborne has pulled off what should have been...
View ArticleSanta Osborne hands out gifts – from down the back of Treasury's sofa
The chancellor flashed the hypothetical cash, with a shower of stocking-fillers he calculates he’ll never have to pay forIn July, George Osborne came to the House of Commons to play Scrooge. On...
View ArticleOBR admits uncertainty over £27bn windfall behind tax credit U-turn
Independent forecaster concedes positive predictions could change as experts are sceptical that tax receipts will pick up as quickly as expectedThe Treasury’s independent forecaster has conceded there...
View ArticleTax credits and infrastructure: Osborne's spending review rabbits in the hat
Changes to how Office for Budget Responsibility calculates future finances gives chancellor another £27bn – but will their assumptions be proved correct?Chancellors love to spring surprises. Nothing...
View ArticleOsborne proves to be a lucky chancellor blessed with a less lucky opposition
Office for Budget Responsibility threw aside previous caution giving Osborne decent hand to play in autumn statementMany politicians know luck and chance can be the covert kingmaker in their trade, and...
View ArticleGeorge Osborne's cuts to proceed more slowly than anticipated
Cuts to departmental spending will be 1.1% a year rather than the previously planned 1.6%George Osborne will press ahead with his attack on Whitehall spending over the next five years but at a slower...
View ArticleSpending review 2015: things you may have missed in Osborne's small print
The tax credit cuts that will still go ahead, the bad news for students, and other devils in George Osborne’s detailRelated: Tory MPs cheer George Osborne's climbdown on tax credit cutsWe have added...
View ArticleJohn McDonnell defends Mao's Little Red Book joke – video
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, defends brandishing Mao Zedong’s Little Red Book in his response to George Osborne’s autumn statement. Speaking on Thursday on ITV’s Good Morning Britain,...
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