Jeremy Corbyn attacks ‘utter complacency’ of Budget

Jeremy Corbyn has criticised the Budget as one of "utter complacency" as he called on the Government to reverse public service cuts.

Responding to Chancellor Philip Hammond’s first Budget in the Commons, the Labour leader accused the Government of failing to address low wages and job insecurity and being "entirely out of touch with reality of life for millions".

But he did not address some of Mr Hammond’s main announcements, including the increase in National Insurance contributions, despite being briefed about them in advance.

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He said: "This was a Budget of utter complacency about the state of our economy, utter complacency about the crisis facing our public services and complacent about the reality of daily life for millions of people in this country.

"Who is reaping the rewards of this economy? For millions, this economy is simply not working.

"This is a Budget that lacks ambition for this country and lacks fairness, it demonstrates again the appalling priorities of this Government, another year, tax breaks for the few public service cuts for the many.

"It’s built on unfairness and it’s built on failure to tackle unfairness in our society."

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Mr Corbyn gave an example of families having to pay the costs of children’s funerals, but having to deal with cuts in bereavement services.

He also accused the Government of "cutting services and living standards of the many to fund and continue to fund the tax cuts of the few".

And he suggested the wealthiest are in line to receive £70bn in "tax giveaways" over the next five years.

Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron criticised the increase in National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.

He tweeted: "Targeting the self-employed, hitting White Van Man with a tax hike betrays Theresa May’s pledge to help the just about managing."

In the Conservative manifesto in 2015, the party promised "we will not raise VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax".

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jane Ellison, said that pledge only applied to Class 1 contributions for the employed.

She told Sky News the Government was "quite clear about which class of NICS it was".

(c) Sky News 2017: Jeremy Corbyn attacks ‘utter complacency’ of Budget