YP Comment: Balancing the books at last. Spending restraint here to stay

UNLIKE his immediate predecessors who used Budgets for great give-aways and personal grandstanding, Chancellor Philip Hammond is clearly preparing to batten down the hatches.
Chancellor Philip Hammond.Chancellor Philip Hammond.
Chancellor Philip Hammond.

He has good reason to do. No one knows Brexit’s financial fallout – these are unparalleled times ahead of the triggering of Article 50 – and it would be prudent to prepare for every eventuality.

That said, Britain is still spending beyond its means, with the pejorative use of the term ‘austerity’ masking the fact that more money is continuing to be made available to the public sector and in contrast to countries like Greece.

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It’s why the warning from accountancy giant Deloitte’s chief economist, Ian Stewart, that Britain is only halfway through a 13 to 14-year deficit reduction programme will strike fear into many ahead of tomorrow’s Budget. With the national debt approaching £1.72 trillion, and the annual deficit standing at a stubbornly high £68bn, Britain is spending more than the combined defence and overseas aid budget servicing the interest charges being accrued 
each year.

Yet Mr Hammond needs to be using the Budget to recalibrate the nation’s priorities. New commitments to skills and education, though welcome, need far more money than the parsimonious sums promised thus far. What is going to be cut to pay for this investment in the future? That’s the question. Whitehall and the public sector needs to be far more nimble in its approach.

Equally, the country expects to hear from the Chancellor how he intends to encourage those business start-ups that are fulfilling their tax obligations when some of their multi-national rivals are not. It is this 
spirit of entrepreneuralism, coupled with a more responsible management of the public finances, that will define Britain’s future – and the ability of Mr Hammond to balance the books at last.

Balances of power in Northern Ireland

NEARLY 20 years after the landmark Good Friday Agreement, it is significant that this month’s Stormont elections revolved around a political issue – namely the handling of a controversial green energy scheme – rather than security considerations. It shows a maturity in Northern Ireland politics that previously did not exist.

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That said, the peace and stability now being taken for granted in Northern Ireland will be compromised if the main protagonists, namely the Democratic Unionist Party and republican Sinn Fein, can’t broker a new agreement following last Thursday’s poll. A state of affairs complicated by DUP leader Arlene Foster’s refusal to stand down over heating policy, Unionist parties no longer enjoying a majority and forthcoming Brexit talks where the border between Northern Ireland and the neighbouring Irish Republic will be a key issue, the most damaging of all would, arguably, be a return to direct rule to Westminster.

Such a scenario would undermine the trust and goodwill that has been built up on both sides and which culminated with Ian Paisley senior and Martin McGuinness – sworn enemies for decades – sharing power effectively in the most unlikely political alliance of all. This is the type of leadership that Northern Ireland – and the rest of the United Kingdom – expects again. And although current legislation paves the way for another election if deadlock remains after three weeks, the Government should be minded to extend this negotiating period if the parties are making progress in, arguably, the peace process’s greatest test to date. Going back in time is not the way forward.

Rural emergencies

AS firefighters are trained first-aiders, it makes sense to utilise this experience – particularly in rural areas like North Yorkshire when it might otherwise take time for a heart attack victim, for example, to receive medical treatment.

This suggestion is not to diminish the excellent work of NHS workers in this region’s more remote outposts. Quite the opposite. It’s about raising awareness of public health and recognising that firefighters, ambulance paramedics, doctors and health staff are all part of the same emergency response team.

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It’s also a reminder about the importance of public places being equipped with easily accessible defibrillators – this is still one of the most effective ways of treating an individual who has stopped breathing. These lifesaving machines are priceless in those areas which do not have a hospital on their doorstep. After all, every second does truly count in such circumstances.