Budget will reflect ‘economic better times coming up’, minister insists

Aminister has insisted the UK is seeing “economic better times coming up” and the spring Budget will reflect that, amid warnings of real-terms cuts to NHS funding in the coming financial year.

During interviews with broadcasters on Tuesday, Greg Hands denied public services have suffered under the Tory government and suggested the upcoming fiscal announcement will strike a balance between spending and delivering tax cuts.

It comes as the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said an already-strained health service could endure a cut worth £2 billion in day-to-day spending in England – the largest reduction since the 1970s.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, trade minister Mr Hands said: “I think we are seeing economic better times coming up and I think the Budget will reflect that.”

When it was put to him that many people would say public services have suffered under the Government, he said: “Well, I disagree. And I think the evidence, actually, is there. We have record numbers

recruit an extra 20,000… we have a record number of nurses.

“Obviously there are vacancies, we want to fill those, but look at what we have delivered so far.”

A responsible budget would involve giving people “a bit of a tax break this year” and “still keeping a record amount of funding into public services”, he told Sky News.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has signalled he wants to move towards a “lower tax economy” in a hint at a pre-election giveaway to voters in the form of a national insurance or income tax cut.