Summary

  • Minister resigns over 'delays' to maximum stake for fixed-odds betting machines

  • MPs debated an urgent question on the matter this morning

  • MPs concluded debate on 2018 Budget during afternoon

  • They later approved series of motions authorising government spending plans

  • Legislation implementing Budget expected to be published next week

  • Lords debated social mobility and problem gambling

  1. Labour: Social care problem 'can only be solved with increased taxation'published at 19:57 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    The Budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John MannImage source, HoC

    Labour MP John Mann says "more investment needs to be invested in geothermal."

    "There are vast amounts of boiling water underground that we could be using," he says.

    Mr Mann calls for "financial support for green housing" as "their efficiency would be huge for the economy, and also permanent".

    "This is a huge current omission, and one the Labour Party need to catch up with as well."

    He says he is "unconvinced" that the issue of social care can be solved without increased taxation.

    "The government are being dishonest with the British people when it comes to health and social care - the ability to have certainty in both will involve a tax increase," he says.

  2. Tech giants face digital services taxpublished at 19:45 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Chancellor Philip Hammond plans to tax the sales that digital giants generate in the UK.

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  3. Tory MP: Investment in Artificial Intelligence could lead to 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'published at 19:40 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    The Budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Alan MakImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Alan Mak says "today's measures to cut income tax are welcomed", and this "along with the freezing of fuel prices, will help families".

    He says he is "extremely pleased at the £50m investment in new artificial intelligence fellowships".

    "Britain can become a true powerhouse in artificial intelligence in the fourth Industrial Revolution."

    He says investment in technology "could turbocharge the economy", and the investment in T-Levels is "also well received".

  4. Lib Dem: Budget does not end austeritypublished at 19:37 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    The Budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Christine JardineImage source, HoC

    Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine says people will be working out the impact of the Budget on their lives and food bills. "I suspect they will be disappointed," she says.

    The Budget doesn't fulfill the definition of ending austerity, she says - "instead we got more for potholes than for schools".

    "So much more should be possible, could be possible, but for Brexit."

    She says while the country is seeing short term improvements in the economy, "the government have failed to acknowledge many bigger issues."

    Ms Jardine says "the country does not need a quick fix for the short term," and that "today, the country needed a Chancellor to fix a broken tax system."

    She calls for a "People's Budget" which "ensures big businesses pay their fare share of taxes, properly funds Universal Credit and reverses all cuts to schools and police services".

    "The way things are now is not how they have to be, and the Liberal Democrats are demanding better than this," she says.

  5. MoD gets extra £1bn in Hammond's Budgetpublished at 19:29 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Anti-submarine warfare among the "critical assets" that will get more money from the chancellor.

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  6. Tory MP questions absence of foreign affairs in Budgetpublished at 19:29 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tom TugendhatImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat says he is going to focus on foreign affairs, and says that while he welcomes the money going to the Ministry of Defence, there was no mention of the Foreign Office.

    He says he hopes the absence of foreign affairs from today's Budget reflects that more thought is being put into strategic planning and engagement behind the scenes.

    "Fairness is a key Conservative principle and I'm glad that the government reflected this today with the introduction of a digital tax."

    He says business is best when there is competition and "not when a few companies have complete domination, which technology giants do currently".

    Mr Tugendhat, a former army officer, says he is "pleased" at the Chancellor's commitment to veterans' services, but "we need to go further together".

  7. Labour: Chancellor and government 'just don't get it'published at 19:19 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Angela EagleImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Angela Eagle says she believes the Chancellor picked this date for the Budget "as he believed a deal with the EU would have been done by now".

    She says the Budget is "contingent on a deal, and irrelevant if there is no deal".

    "We would like the announcement of the end of austerity to be true, but seeing as it's been said three times before, it seems more like nothing has changed," she says.

    Ms Eagle says "the social care system has been allowed to disintegrate and child poverty has soared."

    "All of the deficit-reduction has been achieved by deep and damaging cuts to public expenditure," she says, and that "8.2 million working adults are now in poverty."

    She says the government has created "a nasty, mean society where wealth is extracted and not created".

    "This is a statement from a Chancellor and a government that just don't get it."

  8. Spending on mental health services much be 'incremental'published at 19:13 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget Debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Andrew MitchellImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell says "this Budget has much to commend".

    "It addresses the deep divisions which exist in Britain today," he says.

    Mr Mitchell says the Budget "addresses inter-generational divides" by investing more in house building, helping young people to get into the housing market.

    He says "giants of the tech world are avoiding their fare share of tax", and this new proposal is "giant step forwards" in ensuring these companies are paying their way.

    "The spending on mental health is very welcome indeed," he says "but must be incremental, and spent on providing new services and expanding existing ones."

  9. Budget 'only offers uncertainty'published at 19:12 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chris EvansImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Chris Evans says the government is failing to answer whether the economy is strong enough to deal with a no deal Brexit, and instead is only offering uncertainty.

    "We are not getting the information we need," he says, suggesting it is still not known whether government departments can handle Brexit.

    He says not enough is being done to tackle tax avoidance. "It's a slap in the face when we see see large online companies getting away with not paying their tax."

    He criticises that more funding has not been offered for Universal Credit, and asks those Conservative MPs who say people are better off on the system to tell that to the people in his constituency that are struggling.

    "This government has irreparably damaged this country... we need a change of government and a change in this system, and the sooner this happens that better."

  10. UK Budget: The end of austerity?published at 19:11 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    UK finance minister Philip Hammond has been delivering his last budget before Brexit to Parliament. He said the age of austerity was "finally coming to an end".

    He promised to increase public spending by 1.2% a year for five years from 2020. He also floated the idea of a digital services tax, aimed at bringing in more revenue from technology giants such as Amazon and Facebook:

    Our regular contributor Roger Bootle shared his views on the government's new spending and tax plans.

  11. Budget is 'constructive, positive, and looking forwards'published at 18:55 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    David EvenettImage source, HoC

    Conservative David Evennett says the budget is "constructive, positive, and looking forwards".

    He says that the UK needs the Chancellor to be optimistic about the UK's future. He adds that Labour and the SNP have not had anything constructive to say about the Budget.

    He says his constituents are keen for austerity to end, and now it is coming to an end.

    He adds that Labour has "no policies" and "no ideas" for the end of austerity; and that the prime minister has announced more money for the NHS since June, which is "also really positive".

  12. Schools to receive £400m for 'little extras'published at 18:54 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Head teachers say the payments "hardly scratch the surface" of what is needed to ease funding pressures.

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  13. 'Austerity is not over for my constituents'published at 18:54 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Meg HillierImage source, HoC

    Public Accounts Committee chair, Labour's Meg Hillier, says both the Budget and austerity "has demonstrated a disconnect with the reality of people's lives".

    She says the digital services tax proposed is "interesting", but "if it only levies up to £400m...it's not recovering the tax that these giant tech companies have avoided." She expresses concern that it could affect tech start ups, despite the Chancellor's pledge to ensure this doesn't happen.

    The Chancellor did not mention homelessness, she says. "This is a real issue...there has been a 300% rise in homelessness in Hackney."

    She criticises "the little extras" that the Chancellor pledged for education, suggesting the need is far greater, as well raising concerns about policing and Brexit.

    "Austerity is not over for my constituents, it's still biting hard."

  14. Jobs and employment have increased - Redwoodpublished at 18:40 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    John RedwoodImage source, HoC

    Conservative John Redwood says he welcomes the extra money for the NHS in the years ahead, but he urges the government to make sure it is money "well spent". He adds that the extra money for roads is needed.

    He adds that jobs and employment have increased since the EU referendum, and people are spending more money, while house prices have held.

    He says he thinks that Brexit will be "reasonably neutral" and will not be noticeable on economic charts of the UK in years to come.

    He adds that the UK still has no legal requirement to pay anything further to the EU when we leave in March.

  15. Budget 'does not show economy on strong or resilient footing'published at 18:37 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Rachel ReevesImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Rachel Reeves, who chairs the Business Committee, says the budget "neither ends austerity, nor shows the economy is on a strong or resilient footing."

    "60% of families in poverty today are in work," she says, adding that the number of children in poverty is expected to rise. She says the Universal Credit spending announced only undoes half the cuts announced two years ago by George Osborne.

    She criticises that the chancellor announced less funding for education than he did for potholes, per child "that works out 50p or a pound a week, about 20p a day". She suggests the budget offers very children and young people.

    "The experience of families on low and middle incomes jars with what is happening with some parts of our corporate sector," she adds.

    She criticises the "outrageous pay packets" of senior business people, who she says are better dealt by the budget, "the government could have stopped cuts to corporation tax which benefits big businesses and saved £6 billion".

  16. Tory MP welcomes Chancellor's 'optimism'published at 18:20 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Henry BellinghamImage source, hoc

    Conservative Sir Henry Bellingham says that he welcomes the increases in personal allowances, and the Chancellor's "realism" on Brexit.

    He says he was impressed by the Chancellor's vision for the future. "He has spelled out a really clear vision for the future, at a time when the EU faces huge problems," he says. "We are looking at markets elsewhere and we are optimistic about the future."

    He says he wants to remind the Labour party of the current interest payments on the national debt - which he says are manageable - but that any higher payments would impact the poorest.

    He finishes with saying he fully supports the Budget.

  17. Sceptical of claims this costs 'an arm and a leg' - Labour MPpublished at 18:20 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Religious public holidays debate

    Westminster Hall

    Gareth ThomasImage source, HoC

    Labour's Gareth Thomas says that he finds himself "in the most unusual position" of agreeing with his neighbouring MP, Bob Blackman, on the matter of holidays for those of the Jewish faith.

    He says that Brent and Harrow councils both don't hold significant meetings on days which are significant to the local communities.

    He adds that he has always been "sceptical" of the claims that these holidays cost "an arm and a leg," and he says that claims that the Diamond Jubilee cost employers over £1bn as believable as claims made by the Leave campaign during the EU referendum.

    He encourages the government to allow small businesses to observe these holidays by offering tax incentives.

  18. Budget 'does nothing for families with children'published at 18:19 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Budget debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Chair of the Work and Pensions committee and independent MP, Frank Field, says the Budget today "will do nothing" for the growing number MPs "who are troubled that their constituents are not only hungry but increasingly pushed towards destitution."

    He says the Budget is unfair, "reducing the whole of the budget deficit has been put on families with children". He says there has been nothing announced to help those people that lost benefits.

    "Surely those who have borne most in getting the budget down, should be first in the queue for getting some relief."

    Much needs to be done still to address concerns around the roll out of Universal Credit, he adds. "We are seeing constituents massacred by Universal Credit."

    He calls for the Labour leadership to table a motion that votes down the Budget, which he says "leaves in place all those austerity measures which most affected families and children."

  19. Tory MP: 'This country is already sufficiently taxed'published at 18:07 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    The Budget

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Greg HandsImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Greg Hands says he commends the Chancellor and the Treasury team for the progress they have made in the last two and a half years from "the shocking £175bn deficit the Conservative party inherited."

    Mr Hands says he believes that reducing debt as a percentage of GDP by 74% by 2023 is "progress", but he still fears "the figure is going to be too high".

    "It may be a case of fixing the roof while the sun is shining," he says.

    He says "retail spaces have been dead since before Amazon came along," and that the move to allow these spaces to be made residential is "very welcome".

    Mr Hands says he is "disappointed" that no concessions were made in the Budget to the Kensington and Chelsea Council and the people and area affected by Grenfell.

    And he says: "I believe this country is already sufficiently taxed."

  20. What the Budget means for youpublished at 18:06 Greenwich Mean Time 29 October 2018

    Workers will take home more of their pay than many would have expected - one of numerous measures that affect your finances.

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