The public should be prepared for a tough Budget in two weeks’ time which may not provide Government departments with extra cash to cover pay rises for doctors and nurses, John Healey has indicated.
The Chancellor said the British people recognised the difficult nature of public finances due to ongoing global turmoil, and expected Government departments to “manage with the budgets we’ve got”, as he attended the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mr Healey and Prime Minister Andy Burnham are facing a difficult prospect ahead of the October 28 Budget.
They have promised to help households and businesses with the increased costs, driven up by the US’s war with Iran, all while the same inflation continues to erode the Government’s spending power and borrowing costs.
Speaking to the BBC from the IMF meeting, Mr Healey was asked if the coming fiscal statement to the Commons would be a tough, or even an austere Budget.
He replied: “Well, it’s a tough time. People can people can see the global economic conflicts, they know the pressure it’s putting on them, they understand it’s putting pressure on the Government.”
The Chancellor was then pressed whether this meant that Government departments would see their budgets adjusted for inflation, to help meet pay commitments to workers like nurses and doctors.
He replied: “Look, I’ll set out all the figures as you’d expect in two weeks’ time at the Budget.
“But people recognise these times that are tough for everyone, and what they do expect of a Government is to manage with the budgets we’ve got, deliver the public services they need, and that’s the challenge for Government.
“Our departments have the spending, and the Prime Minister and I being in lockstep about this.
“Where we want to do things, we have to make sure that we can pay for them within the budgets that we’ve got and control spending, and that’s part of the discipline.
“That’s part of the discipline that the IMF here in Bangkok this week has endorsed that they see in Britain, and perhaps want to see more from other countries too.”
The IMF this week praised the UK for its steps to manage its budget deficit over the long-term, and said Britain was doing a good job at reducing this compared with other countries.
The influential global economics body also said the UK was weathering the impacts of the Iran War better than had been expected, but warned inflation from the conflict was likely to get worse before it gets better.
Mr Healey and the Prime Minister have reportedly rebuffed a request by Health Secretary Yvette Cooper for more cash to cover the costs of a pay deal for nurses, and told her to fund it out of the NHS’ existing budget.
This could have an impact on the delivery of frontline services within the NHS.
The Treasury said the Chancellor had used his meetings at the IMF to set out how the UK and its partners across the globe could work together to create better conditions for economic growth in the face of global headwinds.
In a statement released by his department, Mr Healey said: “The UK economy is resilient and my Budget will protect Britain’s resilience through this turbulent time.
“Conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine is hitting people around the world, pushing up energy prices and the cost of government debt.
“Britain and our allies can face these challenges together. I will work with international partners to keep trade moving, strengthen resilience and deliver good growth for all.
“Fiscal discipline is the foundation for supporting families and businesses today, and building hope for the future.”