Who's Top Who's Not: Budget Edition!

??Top: Wes Streeting?

It’s no secret that with our health needs changing and increasing, the NHS needs more than a sticking plaster – and the first Labour budget in nearly 15 years gave quite the cash-injection to our beloved health service; to the tune of ￡25.7bn.??

Some papers erupted into headlines covering what the sum will actually be put towards – including 40,000 extra weekly appointments and new radiotherapy machines. Whilst others focused on the pay rises and increased pension contributions for NHS staff.??

The boost in investment is certainly welcome, but a question remains over what Streeting’s actual strategy is to fix the NHS. He has spent months saying that health reform is needed and that we can’t have “an NHS with a country attached to it”. Wes has clearly been successful in budget negotiations (perhaps helped by being so pro-active on the need for substantial reform) but, if a cash injection won’t solve all the NHS’s problems, what will???

Reeves did also announce on Wednesday that the government will be publishing its 10-year plan soon, but will it be enough to convince voters that our NHS can be saved by Labour??

??Middle: Rachel Reeves?

‘It’s a very…Labour budget’ seems to be the almost unanimous response from bemused political editors reporting on the fiscal event. Perhaps very ‘Old Labour’ would be more apt. The commitment to investing in the NHS, schools and following through on many of their manifesto policies had politicos reeling.??

It was basically as good as Labour could have hoped for. Expectations were set so low for this budget that the raft of investments left sceptical commentators pleasantly surprised. The markets didn’t react too drastically (yet), the clear intent of landing the tax burden on the broadest shoulders seems to have resonated, and – finally – Labour have had the opportunity to say something positive about themselves and what their government will be delivering. Win, win, win.??

However, as some nervous backbenchers may be muttering to themselves, the proof is in the pudding. The budget is one thing – but whether it will translate into real world impact for voters and sustained economic growth in the months and years ahead will be the real judge of the budget’s success.??

??Not: Jeremy Hunt?

After insisting the ￡22bn black hole did not exist, it seems curious that Jeremy Hunt would want to cancel the OBR review into his last spending forecast. However, faced with his P45 and a life of semi-retirement on the backbenches, why not go out with a bang???

Hunt wrote a strongly worded letter to Simon Case, the head of the civil service (a sad example of the lack of influence ex-minsters have in opposition), complaining about the publication of the OBR review on the same day as the budget, citing concerns of political bias.??

Despite the review arguably containing little to seriously damage Hunt’s reputation, the story became one of the ex-Chancellor trying to block a review into his previous spending. Not a good look.??

However, with a new Conservative leader just days away from being announced and an inevitable reshuffle on the horizon, we shall see whether the new shadow chancellor wants to continue the OBR fight or move onto more politically favourable territory.??