Autumn Statement is 'quickest U-turn in economic history': Sangita Myska

17 November 2022, 16:47

Sangita asks listeners: has Jeremy Hunt been 'honest about problems' and 'fair about solutions'?

Sangita Myska gave her response to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement delivered this afternoon, which she branded as the "quickest U-Turn in Britain’s economic history.”

Major announcements from the Autumn Statement include benefits and pensions going up by 10.1% in line with inflation from next April, an extra £2.3bn to be invested in schools in 2023 and 2024 and more people moving into the highest tax bracket as the threshold reduced from £150,000 to £125,140.

Sangita said: “What we have just heard is the decisions made by Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak - our Chancellor, our Prime Minister - that will set the course of this country over the next two years and possibly beyond.

“I would suggest this is arguably the quickest U-Turn in Britain’s economic history.”

Highlighting the gravity of the Statement, she explained the PM and Chancellor set out “£24bn worth of tax rises and about £30bn in spending cuts over the next few years.”

Read more: James O’Brien's instant reaction to Autumn Statement

She added that Jeremy Hunt says this is “compassionate Conservatism coupled with fiscal responsibility”.

“He said he’d have to be honest about the problems and fair about the solutions.

“It will, he says, restore the UK's economic credibility. Lest we forget, that credibility was destroyed by the previous Tory appointment to Prime Ministership of this nation, Liz Truss and her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.”

“Has the Chancellor got it right?” she asked listeners. “Has Jeremy Hunt been - in his words not mine - honest about the problems and fair about the solutions?”

Sangita Myska agrees with this caller over Autumn Statement

One of her callers responded to this monologue saying: “'I think Keir Starmer, if he were in power, he would've been happy with Labour proposing that sort of budget.”

Sangita responded: “Do you know, I agree with you…I don’t think Labour’s got much room for manoeuvre.”

This comes after Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement was met with criticism from Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

At the despatch box, she said: “Never before have people paid so much tax and got so little in return.”