What the papers say: Philip Hammond’s Autumn Statement

The Sun has warm words for Philip Hammond ahead of his Autumn Statement announcement this afternoon. The Chancellor’s plans for a rise in the national living wage, ‘a U-turn on benefit cuts to low-paid workers and a crackdown on exorbitant letting agents’ fees’ are praised for ‘improving Sun readers’ lot’. The paper goes on to concede that Hammond’s room to manoeuvre is limited given the upcoming prospect of Brexit and the ballooning deficit. But the paper says this is still the time to ‘be bold’ – urging him to slash fuel tax and air passenger duty.

Most popular

Cristina Odone

Parents are asking too much of teachers

But don’t be fooled, says the Guardian: Philip Hammond will take away more than he dishes out in return. It calls the Chancellor’s announcements so far ‘stocking fillers’ and says that instead of pulling ’rabbits out of a hat’ it’s ‘rather small bunnies’ that we’ve seen so far from Hammond.