So what does George Osborne mean by “flexibility“? Do we hear the quiet sound of a gear change, prior to a u-turn? No, I’m told, it’s Plan A all the way. And
here are the details.
The government’s five-year departmental budgets (the so-called DEL limits) are set in stone. They won’t change (in cash terms) until April 15, after which no figures have been set. If inflation continues to be high, then this will exacerbate the real effect of the cuts (Osborne has already seen trouble caused by with this as inflation has turned the tiny NHS budget increase into a tiny NHS budget decrease). The OBR reckons it may deepen them from 13 per cent to 19 per cent.”
What might change is the cost of debt and dole. This can’t be budgeted for: you never know how many folk will claim.
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