‘Huge investments in schools and NHS’ – Paper Talk 

Thursday’s front pages report on the budget – delivered by the chancellor yesterday. The newspapers analyse and scrutinise the measures announced by Rachel Reeves, the first Labour budget in 14 years. 

Online, the newspapers offer up even more analysis and opinion articles. 

Elsewhere, there’s a little coverage of the flash flooding in Spain and the back pages are dominated by Manchester United’s attempts to get Amorim. 

Huge investments in schools and NHS

‘Huge investments in school and NHS,’ says the Metro.

The Metro says the chancellor announced a “huge series of investments” – particularly in schools and the NHS, but they will be paid for with £40bn of extra taxes and a rule change to allow the government to borrow £127bn this year. 

‘Biggest tax burden in a generation,’ says the FT.

The Financial Times says the chancellor introduced the “biggest Budget tax increase in a generation” with businesses and the wealthy bearing the brunt and that the changes are intended to fix the country’s finances and public services. 

The paper says that the extra borrowing will find an extra £100bn of capital spending over the parliament, bringing in a “massive expansion of the state that will define political battle lines for years to come”.

‘Emergency NHS cash injection,’ notes The Guardian.

The Guardian highlights that the budget will include an “emergency NHS cash injection” and that the chancellor has “gambled on voters rewarding the government for patching up Britain’s crumbling services”.

‘Chancellor’s £40bn tax gamble,’ is the i’s opinion.

The i is another newspaper to frame the budget as a “gamble”. The paper says Rachel Reeves hopes to encourage growth by boosting investment, but that the changes are set to cost households £300 per year and the OBR has warned that the rise in employers’ national insurance will hit jobs. The paper’s headline calls it the “great £40bn tax gamble.” 

‘Increase in public spending will undo 14 years of Tory neglect,’ is the Mirror’s take.

The Mirror has a much more positive take saying the increase in public spending will help “undo 14 years of Tory negligence”.  The paper’s front page highlights the news that the budget included an end to tax breaks for non-doms and private schools and quotes the chancellor saying: “This is the start of a decade of renewal.” 

‘OBR’s bleak forecast make mockery of Reeves,’ says the Mail.

The Daily Mail says the chancellor delivered a “tax bombshell for Britain’s strivers” and that the OBR’s “bleak” forecasts have made a “mockery of her amotion” to be the most pro-growth chancellor in history.

‘Labour budget takes tax burden to highest level on record,’ says The Times.  

The Times says the Labour budget took the tax burden to the highest level on record. The paper highlights the news that there will be an increase in capital gains tax as well as temporary freezes to the thresholds for income and inheritance tax.

‘Tax rises will damage living standards,’ says the Telegraph.

The Daily Telegraph claims the tax rises have “crushed hopes of higher growth” and will “damage living standards”. The paper says the OBR has cut its growth forecast for most of this decade and warns that a “sugar rush” of economic growth from higher government spending will quickly wane. 

‘At least she kept freeze on fuel duty,’ says The Sun.

The Sun calls the budget a Halloween horror show but praises the freeze on fuel duty, an issue the paper has campaigned on. “At least she lept it down at the pump-kins,’ is the paper’s Halloween-themed headline.