I don’t think it’s particularly sensible to read a headline and conclude that potentially some quite significant financial decisions are made off that.”
Simon French, Chief Economist and Head of Research at the independent investment bank, Panmure Liberum, is not afraid to admit that he doesn’t know which budget rumours land, and which don’t.
In an exclusive interview, recorded on 24 September – so before Labour’s party conference – Simon explains “the vast majority of the [budget] rumours, if you ever go back and look, all the things that are spoken about, the vast majority never see the light of day.”
In a wide-ranging conversation with the former Cabinet Office chief of staff, we discussed the UK’s economic performance heading into the budget, cost of living pressures on households, and the implications of these on the upcoming Budget statement.
As well as the highlights video on this page, you can watch the full conversation on our YouTube channel.
Filter out the noise
In the run up to Andy Burnham’s first budget, speculation is going to be running rife and you will need an opinion you can trust. HL are only covering the rumours and announcements worth your time, not the ones that are pure speculation.
No rushed takes, just balanced commentary from our in-house team of experts.
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