Labour needs a true alternative to Rishi Sunak’s austerity
The moral case against spending cuts is overwhelming – and so is the economic one.
ByAusterity is a set of Conservative political-economic policies that cut government spending and increase taxes. These polices aim to reducing government budget deficits and the role of the welfare state. In the UK, austerity has been implemented from 2010 to 2019 under the Coalition and Conservative governments, and again in 2021 to the present. Here you can find all of our latest news, analysis and comment about austerity.
The moral case against spending cuts is overwhelming – and so is the economic one.
ByWith austerity looming, a review is investigating whether journalists have been prone to bias and misleading analogies.
ByThe fiscally responsible approach is to build a strong economy through public investment and tax increases on the wealthy.
ByAt his first PMQs as leader, Sunak successfully evaded questions on where cuts will fall.
ByThe 2019 Tory manifesto promises of extra NHS and school funding now read like a joke.
ByFar from vindicating the Cameron-Osborne approach, the last few weeks merely prove what a tragic error it was.
ByBritons on low incomes dread the Liz Truss government’s “reverse Robin Hood” plan, which prioritises bankers over benefit claimants.
ByThe government’s giveaway to the rich may be matched by real-terms cuts to benefits for the poorest and most vulnerable.
ByConservative austerity “formally jettisoned” Britain’s welfare state, says human rights lawyer Philip Alston.
ByThis deadly heat is an inevitable consequence of the right’s slash-and-burn approach to climate change.
ByBeware the language of sacrifice from a man wishing to be the next prime minister.
ByMost of us are having to cut back on our spending. For some this is an inconvenience; for others it…
ByFanciful chatter about "cultural poverty" obscures material poverty.
ByMany Tory MPs are at best uneasy and at worst actively disgusted by much of this Budget.
ByBeneath the surface of headline-grabbing announcements, the long legacy of austerity still cuts deep.
ByFrom food banks to Whitehall, the New Statesman reports from the front line of a life-changing policy.
ByRemember how, in 2010, every department had to agree to swingeing budget cuts? Remember how those cuts predictably ended up…
ByWhen the government lowers spending during a recession, it's often called "austerity".
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