Rachel Reeves will finally unveil her spending review in a 45 minute-long speech after PMQs today. It follows weeks of wrangling with departments over who gets what, with home secretary Yvette Cooper the last to sign off after being on ‘resignation watch’ over what funding her department will receive. Here’s what Reeves is expected to announce:
The day‑to‑day budget will increase by 2.8% in real terms each year to cover staff, equipment, and operational costs.
£2.4 billion for West Midlands Metro.
£2.1 billion for West Yorkshire Mass Transit, with construction starting by 2028.
Science and technology (£86 billion over four years) This had also already been announced by the Tories…
New drug treatments
Longer‑lasting batteries
Artificial intelligence breakthroughs
Public sector pay (3% to 5% increases)
4% pay rise for NHS consultants and teachers
Estimated additional cost of £2 billion to £3 billion per year across departments
Keeping the £3 bus fare cap (up to 2027)
Police funding (real‑terms increase over three years) Yvette Cooper has warned this will not be enough to meet the government’s pledge to recruit 13,000 frontline officers by 2029…
Border security and surveillance (£680 million)
£100 million in the first year
Remaining £580 million spread over the next three years for staff, technology, and monitoring systems
Welsh rail project upgrade (£445 million)
While Reeves isn’t expected to announce any tax changes, today’s announcements will lay the groundwork for hikes in the Autumn Budget. She’s already been rolling that pitch…
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”