WTWN: Autumn statement edition
This week's Who's Top Who's Not (WTWN) focuses on the Autumn Statement. Let's jump in.
?? Flying High: Jeremy Hunt
This week, Hunt was faced with the truly unenviable task of delivering the first fiscal event since “The Budget That Shall Not Be Named” sent the UK economy into a Kwasi-meltdown and left the Tory party teetering on the edge of collapse.
In the Sunak-spirit of under-promising and over-delivering, Hunt sombrely told the public that “difficult decisions” would have to be made. By setting the expectation that voters would be huddling over a bonfire made up of unpaid energy bills to stay warm it was actually…not quite so terrible in comparison?
The “not-so-terribleness” of it was aided by Hunt’s tennis-match-like delivery, nestling any nasty surprises in between spending announcements: An increase to the national living wage. But energy bills increasing by ￡500. Benefit increases for 19 million families. But higher taxes for most people. Never mind that, though - here is billions of additional investment into schools!
The cost-of-living crisis still looms large and will probably decide the next general election. Hunt will hope that he will get some credit from the British public for making tough decisions and stabilising the economy but if most people feel poorer in 2024 then the electorate are much more likely to punish the Tories than reward them.
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?? Middle ranking: Peter Aldous MP
The Sizewell C telenovela might finally be ending.
After years of will-they-won’t-they, Peter Aldous, other MPs and industry groups who have long campaigned for government to give the go ahead to the construction of Sizewell C had the Chancellor confirm that the government would be signing the papers with EDF next week.
A win for the long-term stability of our energy supply, sure. But, the go ahead for Sizewell C poses awkward questions for the success of this government’s medium-term energy plan. Introduced by Hunt as an integral part of remedying the energy crisis, it will take ten years to build and its sister plant, Hinkley Point C (HPC), is facing constant delays and billions in overspend!
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This will be a win for his constituency’s economy, and it will certainly put his area on the map. But good luck to him when he is faced with formidable local activist groups at the next local election hustings.
If all else fails, Aldous could start pushing for fracking so at least the ground will swallow him up.
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?? Sinking quickly: Steve Barclay MP (Health and Social Care Secretary of State)
Hunt’s statement pledged ￡3.3bn to the NHS: coming with the caveat of asking our emaciated health service to find yet more efficiency measures. Whilst ￡3.3bn might sound like a lot to you and I, (assuming Jeremy Hunt isn’t reading this), it is only half of what the NHS asked for to keep pace with the impact of inflation.
With the “final” death knell for the NHS being sounded by health journos and the opposition on a weekly basis – there is only so much more the most British of public services can take. After accounting for inflation, analysis shows that the NHS has effectively only been giving ￡800m to save it from the brink.
The UK’s poor economic situation and the cost-of-living crisis are having a huge impact on household budgets. But rising energy costs and high inflation are also having a demonstrable impact on our public services who are having to make budgets stretch further. The Tories know they have a huge job on their hands to protect the NHS; if not, their 2024 prospects look bleak.
RIP Steve Barclay’s inbox.?
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