ALL Phillip Hammond's Autumn statement suggests is tinkering at best, it does nothing on affordable housing, nothing for the NHS, nothing to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.
He talked about clawing back £5billion from big corporations and the super rich, when at least £120billion escapes through tax dodging each year.
He gave very little comfort to people at the bottom working families on low wages. Whilst the rise to £7.50p per hour of the national minimum wage, wrongly named national living wage, is welcomed, the rise is nowhere near enough. We need to be nearer the £8.45p per hour advocated by the national living wage foundation. And he did nothing to scrap the scourge of enforced zero hour contracts.
His statement leaves our NHS grossly short of funding which will result in further cuts, and a less efficient service.
He did nothing to tackle climate change and protect our environment.
He did announce measures to promote Grammar schools, resulting in selection and segregation of our children in the future. Grammar schools are truly a thing of the past, and result in many children being left behind, and badly let down.
Alan Johnson,
Bolton Green Party
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