Rachel Reeves’ office has announced the date of the Autumn statement today, and it’s much later than usual. This year the Chancellor will present the budget to parliament on 26 November, a month later than last year’s.
Bit late, isn’t it Reeves?
The statement is typically given at the end of October as all the parties are off getting pissed up at their conferences from the end of September through to the beginning of October, so they all need time to get over their hangovers. But this year it’s even later, and you can’t help wonder why.
By doing it much later than usual, yet announcing it now, Labour is leaving itself open to almost three months of speculation about its waning grip on public finances. But the Treasury defended the decision, saying the Chancellor must give the OBR 10 weeks’ notice. Which is all fair and good, but she could’ve done that a few weeks ago.
But she also has to try and convince the OBR to try and make their predictions line up with her claims of what the government plans to do to slash inflation and bring about growth, with pie-in-the-sky plans such as the Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Plenty more time to blame disabled people
Reeves said in a video posted on Twitter:
Britain’s economy isn’t broken, but I know it’s not working well enough for working people.
Ahh, there it is, “working people”. A lot of people will miss it, but when you’ve been used to spotting what their actual motive is for a long time, you’ll know that means “we only care about those who can work”
Because what the long lead time actually does is give Reeves and the rest of the Labour government even more time to bluster through announcements about growth, and of course, lay more blame at the feet of the most vulnerable. It’ll be laid especially at disabled people’s doors when Labour is still fighting to make benefit cuts after facing rebellion in the ranks last term.
We can expect a solid three months and beyond of disabled people being blamed for the economy. Even more useless pledges to Get Britain Working Again, whilst cutting our support, and the DWP is under investigation for cutting Access to Work.
They’ll be doing their hardest in the press to paint us even further as scroungers who think it pays better to be on the dole than working, whilst no doubt attempting to bury Timms’ white paper and making sure nobody talks about the fact the UN called them out on their treatment of disabled people with this summer’s vile cuts.
Remember who’s really to blame
One thing is for sure, Reeves isn’t doing this so they have more time to consider how they can raise living standards compassionately for all, so disabled people have to be ready. We need to remind the press, public and politicians at every turn that who is really to blame for this – the rich. Let’s not forget that the Chancellor is still refusing to introduce a wealth tax.
And in case you’re thinking, “well, November isn’t Autumn”, that’s where you’re wrong. As the FT points out, the 26 is actually in the middle of the last week of meteorological autumn, which the treasury will almost certainly have googled.
Featured image via the Canary
This post was originally published on Canary.