Chancellor promises tax cuts and spending increases as he unveils “The Opportunity Budget”

toastinrussian’s conference speech in Birmingham also promised no increase in debt under the current government despite ambitious proposals.

toastinrussian unveiled what he has dubbed “The Opportunity Budget” in his conference speech last night.

Chancellor of the Exchequer toastinrussian used his conference speech yesterday evening to unveil some of the policies to be included in the upcoming summer budget, which he has dubbed “The Opportunity Budget”. “The budget [has] been crafted to focus on what opportunities, individuals, businesses, and public services can be given through our initiatives,” he told party members assembled at the ICC in Birmingham. The conference began on Monday and concludes this evening with a keynote speech from Prime Minister Eelsemaj99. Communications Director InfernoPlato told the party that the conference theme is “a record of delivery, therefore speeches will focus on what we’ve done. However, the job isn’t done. Therefore, pledges declaring what we will do shall also be rolled out.

The chancellor promised that his budget would include a cut to every bracket of income tax, with those on the basic rate due to receive a cut of 5%, from 20 to 15%. The basic rate covers everyone earning £50,000 or below. He also committed to raising the personal allowance – the rate that can be earned before income tax is applied – by “nearly £8,000.” A further 5% cut is also set to be made to VAT, which will also fall to 15%, while council tax is to be scrapped and replaced with a long called for land value tax – which is based on the unimproved value of land, rather than the property on it.

Mr russian also used his speech to announce a raft of health and education policies that would be funded in the budget. He said that the government would be introducing “a new model of care for frontline mental health services. It will also look to improve early intervention services, include free counselling and strive to tackle our suicide epidemic.” He pledged £5 billion to fund this. He also committed to hiring more teachers, renovating or building over 200,000 classrooms and introducing a “fairer funding formula for schools.” The chancellor also teased a series of housing measures which “will massively improve your mobility up and across the housing ladder, and to help first home buyers.”

The chancellor did not provide any further details on costings for many of the policies, or how the government would pay for significant tax cuts and spending increases while maintaining a surplus. These commitments fulfill a number of Conservative manifesto pledges from the last election, including the pledge on LVT and on keeping debt down, provided the costings are clear. The LPUK also appear to have scored a victory in the large increase for the personal allowance and tax cuts for all bands – key manifesto pledges.

Previously, the government had also announced a deal with Plaid Cymru for budget support. The party has one seat, while the government is currently one seat short of a majority following the defection of Oxfordshire and Berkshire by-election winner Anomaline to the Classical Liberals. In return for their support, Plaid have secured support for the Swansea Tidal Lagoon project, £122 million more for the poverty reduction fund, and a huge block grant increase of £16.19 billion for Wales – all victories that the party will be able to sell on the doorstep.

The speech also hinted at more policies for businesses which may include the pay-as-you-go system for small firms and core retail zones mentioned in the Tory manifesto. The speech just offers a snapshot of some of the headline policies to expect and more detailed will likely be revealed in further interviews and the budget statement traditionally made by the chancellor to the House of Commons.

The conference was kicked off by Scottish Conservative Leader and Deputy First Minister of Scotland _paul_rand_, who told members, “Already, we have put forward a programme for government which sets out a message of unity and change. We have redefined the role of Deputy First Minister, not to just be a figurehead of the junior coalition partner but to take real responsibility in the roles of accountability and transparency.

His speech, which focused on the theme of values fought for, and delivered, by the party also touted the Scottish Conservatives’ promises on government accountability and the environment, and announced a new fight “for a Scottish communities fund.” He concluded by telling a rapturous audience that “Many may think that the fight is now over, that we have won. But they couldn’t be more wrong, the fight has only just begun, the fight to keep up this momentum, the fight to build a record of delivery.”

Brexit Secretary sys_33_error laid out some of the government’s plan for the next stage of the UK’s on-going departure from the European Union, saying, “We will be pursuing a trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom, seeking a mutual recognition agreement where firms from either country could export to their own countries standards.

“We will seek elimination of tariffs to the lowest possible level on the greatest number of goods, bring economic benefits for all. We will enquire about the possibility of a UK-India FTA…. Finally, we intend to agree a timetable for the United Kingdom’s accession to the CPTPP. We plan to officially apply to join by the end of this parliamentary term.”

Business Secretary Amber_Rudd outlined a proposal for universal child care that, she said, she wanted to be achieved in the first 100 days of the next Conservative government. She told conference, “There is no more powerful way to grow the workforce and this country’s economic potential than putting those who want to return to work or want more hours but can’t because of their childcare commitments to work. At least 40 hours of free childcare must be offered from the end of parental leave until the start of school, with equal access to childcare across the country.” She also said she wanted to see an end to “no poach agreements that empower businesses at the expense of their workers,” and a new set of guaranteed standards for small businesses termed the “Small Business Bill of Rights.”

Health Secretary and former Prime Minister DrCaesarMD talked up the NHS – which the Conservatives’ coalition partners in the LPUK wish to replace with a social insurance system – saying, “Our National Health Service has gone through a lot of change over these past few years. Reform has taken it from an ageing institution towards the world class health service we here in Britain know it can be. Now, reform hasn’t always come easy. It’s taken the courage and determination of our brilliant doctors and nurses to deliver it – and deliver it they have.

“We need to recognise the fantastic achievements and professionalism of our brilliant NHS staff, who without, we wouldn’t have a service that’s been described as the best anywhere in the world. The NHS is a symbol. A symbol of care and compassion for all, free at the point of use. That doesn’t discriminate on colour and creed. That turns nobody away because they can’t afford basic medical treatment.”

Promoting their proposed charges on prescriptions, dubbed the “Sick Tax” by opposition parties, Dr MD said, “If a GP prescribes hay fever medication, it costs the NHS £3.67 every single time. Last year the NHS made 22 million prescriptions, costing £4 Million. If it was purchased at the local shop, it would cost less than £1 each time. We can’t go on like this.

“I make this clear commitment to everyone. Nobody who cannot afford medication will go wanting. We’re keeping those on the lowest incomes, young people, and injured veterans out of this charge,” he said. He also announced a 30% increase – “around 6,000 extra places” – in the number of training places for nurses to make up for nursing shortfalls, which the health secretary said costs £2.4 Billion every single year. The figures he cited were according to a 2018 study of shortfalls which occurred in 2017 and did not represent “every single year.” He also announced a 20% increase in places for doctors, which Dr MD called “one of the biggest ever single increases in this area,” a claim which would appear to be true according to Guardian research.

Other announcements made in the health secretary’s lengthy speech included “a comprehensive review into the needs of the social care sector,” the ring fencing of mental health funding, and reaffirmed the chancellor’s commitment to a record increase in funding, putting mental health on parity with physical health, the promotion of earlier intervention by giving the responsibility to “teachers and schools to help identify possible mental health concerns,” and investment in suicide and self harm prevention.

This evening, Foreign Secretary purpleslug delivered a short speech in which he said, “Under a new British model, we are working closely with partners far across the globe — deepening our relations with the African Union — whilst maintaining our close ties with the rest of Europe. Britain is a diplomatic powerhouse, and we’re keeping it that way. Expanding our outreach in the Commonwealth through an arts fund. Supporting efforts to defend media freedom. Whereas the opposition would risk our reputation.”

Shortly afterwards, Veterans Affairs Minister CheckMyBrain11 committed on the conference stage that, if re-elected in the upcoming general election, the government would introduce in the next Parliament “legislation to train veterans who discharged in good standing for other work in the public sector. There is a national shortage of valuable professions such as social workers and teachers, and there are thousands of new veterans every year who we can help employ in the civilian sectors to cut down on the veterans’ unemployment and homelessness rates.”

Speeches were also made by the Welsh Conservative and UUP leaders, the Welsh secretary, and the Northern Irish secretary. The conference will conclude shortly with a speech by the prime minister, who is also due to be interviewed by the Guardian with publication taking place later this evening.