Opposition and think-tank reactions to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement

Think Tanks Blast Reeves' Bleak Spring Statement

The reactions from Westminster’s think tanks are in. It’s a bad day to be a humble wonk hoping for some growth and stability. Deep breath… The Adam Smith Institute’s Joanna Marchong: “The Chancellor has convinced herself of economic stability based on deeply outdated forecasts. It is a Statement written by spin doctors, not economists. After…

Opposition and think-tank reactions to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her Spring Statement. Here are a selection of responses from the Opposition and Think Tanks Britain’s unemployment rate is forecast to climb to its highest level since the pandemic, according to the OBR, the budget watchdog, with their growth forecast cut for the coming year to just 1.1 per cent. Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride attacked Reeves over her Spring Statement, warning that there is “no growth str…

Spring Statement another missed opportunity for builders

The Chancellor’s Spring Statement was a missed an opportunity to boost construction activity at a time when house building is falling and more builders are leaving the industry, say the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB said: “Today’s Spring Statement was a missed opportunity to deliver the decisive action […] The post Spring Statement another missed opportunity for builders, says FMB first appeared on n…

Spring Statement offers little comfort for businesses amidst growing international uncertainty, says Smailes Goldie

The latest Spring Statement has done little to steady the nerves of firms in Yorkshire, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves declining to set out fresh measures to ease mounting financial strain on UK companies, according to leading accountancy practice Smailes Goldie. In calmer circumstances, the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) Spring Forecast might have provided a measure of reassurance, as would the Chancellor’s decision to leave things unc…

The Debate: Was a 'quiet' Spring Statement what businesses needed?

It was good for the Chancellor’s blood pressure, but was it good for business? We hear the case for and against the “boring” Spring Statement in this week’s Debate YES: The global backdrop hardly encourages risk-taking. For now, stability is a virtue This week’s Spring Statement was a rare and welcome moment of calm. In business, we reforecast constantly, but we agree a budget once a year. That budget sets investor expectations, shapes compensat…

IFS releases initial response to Spring Statement Forecast 2026

Responding to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement Forecast earlier this afternoon, Helen Miller, IFS Director, said: “Today’s Spring Forecast did what it said on the tin. It was a forecast, and not much more. There was blissfully little speculation about potential policy changes in the lead up, and no tweaking tax or spending policies on the day. To her credit, she stayed her hand. One major fiscal event per year is enough.   The OBR’s forecast fo…