SIR – After Chancellor George Osborne made his Autumn statement in the House of Commons, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) gave their verdict on what he had to say.
Paul Johnson, the IFS director said voters would be justified in asking whether Mr Osborne was planning “a fundamental re-imagining of the role of the state” as the Chancellor’s plans will mean spending cuts “on a colossal scale” after the next general election.
Mr Johnson added: “If we move in anything like this direction, whilst continuing to protect health and pensions, the role and shape of the state will have changed beyond recognition.”
The IFS added that Mr Osborne’s plans for a £23 billion budget surplus by 2019-20 would take spending “to its lowest level as a proportion of national income since before the last war.” ie back to the 1930s!
David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose
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