Sunak eyes budget delay to next year
Chancellor Rishi Sunak could delay the budget until next year to allow him to assess more timely data on the economic impact of ending business support schemes.
The news was first reported by The Guardian, which said officials have reportedly told Sunak waiting until the end of spring 2022 may provide him with more time to understand the true impact on firms.
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The furlough scheme is scheduled to finish at the end of September, with many predicting unemployment to rise shortly afterwards. Other state initiatives designed to support businesses are also being gradually wound down.
The budget, which sets out the government’s spending and tax plans for the year, is typically delivered in November or early December.
Sunak is also set to announce a three-year spending plan for government departments in the autumn.
A government spokesperson said: “There is no need to make any decisions about when a budget will be held for now.”
”The Spending Review will be launched in the usual way.”
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