On 29th October, Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who controls how the UK Government spends money and how they raise money, revealed his idea for the budget for the year ahead.
The budget is announced every year and decides what people and businesses need to pay the Government and how all this money will be spent. One of Hammond’s decisions was to give English schools a one-off payment of £400 million to “buy the little extras they need”. Many parents and teacher were really angered by his choice and how he called it “little extras”, saying that schools need more money to pay for staff.
He also reminded MPs of previously announced Government plans to give more money to the NHS, stating the health service was number one priority of the British people. Mental-health funding will be increased by more than £2 billion each year. Some of this money will pay for a mental-health expert at every school.
The Chancellor is also in charge of deciding how to raise this money so that he can progress his plans. He will collect money in several different ways, including taxes and fundraisers. Hammond said that a new tax on big tech companies such as Google, this could give the Government an extra £400 million a year. He also announced plans to tax companies that make or buy packaging from other countries that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. He proved that this would encourage businesses around the world to use mor environment-friendly materials and as a result would save all the oceans and all sort of sea-life.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn told us, “What we’ve heard today are half measures and quick fixes, while austerity grinds on.” He also said the money for the NHS wouldn’t make a difference.