In a matter of weeks Chancellor Sajid Javid will unveil the very first post-Brexit British budget. Almost five decades have passed and for the first time we can say the UK will have its own budget that is free of the EU, and one that can and will unleash the potential of this nation. Of course, one budget cannot overcome the restraint of the past five decades under the EU. However, let’s be realistic and savour the developments as they materialise over the next few years. I hear that the main skeleton of the budget is already in place. There now remains enough scope to refine each element with input from multiple sources.
Inheritance tax will be a feature no doubt. There is a strong case that this will be lowered, but I would be concerned if this was done at the expense of people’s ability to pass on their hard-earned assets to their family with ease.
Housing has been a hot potato for a while. As far as I can remember almost all governments for the past four decades have promised the earth. Delivery however has been abysmal. The idea of having discounted housing seems catchy, but I would urge the government to ensure that potential homeowners are not granted public money on which they make huge profits in years to come. In my view it is essential that housing is tackled, and building goes on a war footing. But let us also make sure that if it results in profits in years to come, that a proportion of those profits are clawed back by the state also.
Social care should be a huge priority. However, this is such a massive issue I am not sure that budgets alone can fix the system. This requires a Royal Commission with cross-party support to come into action. Social care must be considered on a timeline of decades or longer, as opposed to the political cycle.
Education and tuition fees. Readers will know that my personal view has always been that all education to 1st degree (or equivalent) should be free for all those who show capability. However, I also understand that might be a bit too far for any government to stretch to in one go. So, I would like tuition fees reduced dramatically and a cap put on it to avoid rogue universities going crazy. Simple logic dictates that most student loans will never be paid back. All politicians know this as fact, but they avoid it like the plague. At some point this elephant will have to be tackled as well.
Transport is another one that creates more tensions. I sometimes wonder what sort of country we have created whereby we as citizens demand all these rights for ease of access to affordable transport, yet at the very same time handcuff our governments with bureaucratic consultation madness that never delivers. The world is moving forward fast, it’s time to ditch the old ways and take decisions.
I expect all our public services to get a shout out as well. Whilst we expect the NHS to feature heavily, don’t be too surprised if there are further measures to support the police and our security forces.
The idea of free ports will feature heavily over the coming years. It scares the EU, but those of us who travel the world know that if done correctly, it could be huge game changer for the UK.
In my view there remains a massive issue with respect to energy costs. It’s time to put in place something a lot more robust to protect the citizen.
I can continue on many other issues, but suffice to say, hopefully the chancellor takes note of the above!
