Rachel Reeves has accused her predecessor of hiding a “£22bn funding gap” for the current financial year, announcing a series of “tough decisions” to compensate.
The chancellor told MPs that the investigation she ordered into the spending plans Labour inherited following the election found a Conservative “cover-up” that “put party ahead of country”.
Her statement, based on work by Treasury officials, not only alleged a projected overspend of £22bn this year but that information was withheld from the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) ahead of the March budget.
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Here, we set out the main accusations and what Ms Reeves is planning to do about it.
The “black hole”
The chancellor claimed the government reserve had been spent “more than three times over”.
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Her central allegation was that the Tories had too often made spending commitments under the reserve.
She said that £6.4bn of the £22bn figure for the current year had come from projected spending on the asylum system alone, including from the controversial Rwanda scheme.
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Some action now – much more later
Ms Reeves said the government would aim to recoup £5.5bn of the £22bn funding gap figure this year, and £8bn next year. Government departments have been asked to find combined savings of at least £3bn.
She confirmed that there would be a budget on 30 October to set out full measures.
Rises in income tax, national insurance and VAT were ruled out, in line with Labour’s election manifesto.
What is being cut now?
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From this winter, only those on pension credits or other means-tested benefits will qualify for winter fuel payments.
Former PM Rishi Sunak’s “legacy”, the Advanced British Standard qualification, is to be scrapped as Ms Reeves said he “didn’t put aside a single penny to pay for it”.
Adult social care charging reforms will not be taken forward, saving more than £1bn by the end of next year, she said.
The Restoring our Railways programme will be scrapped as it was “unfunded.
Ms Reeves added that the A303 and A27 road upgrade schemes would not go ahead.
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New spending commitments
Despite the funding pressures identified by the chancellor, she confirmed she would be accepting in full the recommendations of the public sector pay bodies.
Hours earlier, it emerged that junior doctors in England had reportedly been offered a 22.3% hike over two years.
