Commenting on the chancellor’s spring statement today (Wednesday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“This government gets the value of public services. Unlike its predecessors whose economic policies left schools, hospitals and councils in tatters.
“But failure to invest in essential services and staff at this critical time for the UK would be a false economy. Well-resourced essential services and workforces can help Rachel Reeves deliver vital growth.
“If the economy is to pick up from next year, as forecasts suggest, this must be translated into increased resources for under-pressure public services, beginning with June’s spending review.
“The chancellor’s been left with an unenviable task. The world has changed since the summer. But extraordinary times require bold solutions. With so little wriggle-room, the chancellor should stop backing herself into a corner with fiscal rules and borrow more to invest.
“Cuts to welfare and attacks on those least able to support themselves are not the right way to deliver a thriving economy, nor good quality public services. The Office for Budget Responsibility doesn’t always get things right and forecasts change.
“The government has a plan to deliver growth for working people and must stick to it.”
