No pain, no gain?

The first Budget of the new Parliament is a particularly important one, giving the Chancellor a unique opportunity to set the economic framing for the next five years. It’s also often a chance to take painful decisions – post-election tax rises are a time-honoured tradition. The Chancellor has hinted at delivering some of the latter, saying that she wants to use the Budget to fix the foundations of the UK economy and end austerity. But how can she do that while still setting out plans to kickstart growth?

How has the Chancellor managed to navigate the tricky tax and spend trade-offs in the Budget, and how might families and firms react? Has the Budget put public services on a firmer footing? What does the Budget tell us about future fiscal events, such as the Spending Review next year? And how does Rachel Reeves’ first ever Budget measure up in terms of setting out a new economic strategy for Britain?

The Resolution Foundation is hosting its traditional ‘morning after the night before’ event to debate and answer questions about the Budget. Following a presentation of the key highlights from its overnight analysis of Autumn Budget 2024, we will hear from leading experts – including the Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility Richard Hughes – on the state of the public finances, the decisions taken or ducked by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and what the Budget means for firms, families and the future of the UK economy.

The event will be open for people to physically attend, alongside being broadcast via YouTube and the Resolution Foundation website. Viewers will be able to submit questions to the panel before and during the event via Slido.

Budget 2024 – Resolution Foundation overnight analysis by ResolutionFoundation on Scribd