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In his Autumn Statement, Philip Hammond, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, against an expectation of increased borrowing and slower growth, found an extra £1.3 billion to improve roads, which is 0.2 per cent of planned public spending next year, and £1.4 billion to promote the building of 40,000 houses. He improved the lot of some people on universal benefits and put £400 million towards provision of full-fibre broadband. The national minimum wage would rise from £7.20 to £7.50. The government would increase investment in research and development by £2 billion by the end of this parliament. Theresa May, the Prime Minister, had earlier pledged that the government would make Britain’s corporate tax rate the lowest in the G20. Government borrowing in October fell to £4.8 billion from £6.4 billion a year earlier. Lord Carlile of Berriew, the former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, is to review the case of Bishop George Bell, who died in 1958 and has been accused of having abused a little girl on the basis of a complaint made decades later.
Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, tweeted: ‘Many people would like to see @Nigel_Farage represent Great Britain as their Ambassador to the United States.’ Downing Street responded sniffily: ‘We have chosen our ambassador and there is no vacancy.’ ‘Trump is a very loyal man and supports those that stand by him,’ Mr Farage said. ‘Sadly, the cesspit that is career politics understands nothing of this.’ The law on invoking Article 50, in order to leave the European Union, might go to the European Court of Justice to rule upon, according to Koen Lenaerts, Europe’s most senior judge. The government dropped plans to remove the power of the House of Lords to vote against statutory instruments.
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