Senior UK ministers are raising concerns over the scale of spending cuts expected to be announced in the upcoming budget on October 30, Bloomberg reports.
Multiple members of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s cabinet have sent formal letters to the Prime Minister, expressing their alarm over the cuts they are being asked to make in a one-year departmental spending review.
The letters, which have been described as an escalation of the internal debate, underscore the strong misgivings some ministers have about the budget decisions facing their departments.
These concerns stem from the tightrope Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves is navigating to restore order to Britain’s public finances. The government plans to achieve this through a combination of tax increases and spending cuts totaling £40 billion ($52 billion).
While ministers acknowledge the need for fiscal responsibility, they are concerned that the planned cuts are politically unfeasible and could hinder the government’s ability to deliver on election promises and meet the expectations of Labour’s new voters.
The ministers are particularly worried about the impact of the cuts in the immediate future, with the first year of spending constraints described as a “nightmare.” They are concerned that the cuts will make it difficult to deliver essential public services and stimulate economic growth, according to the report.
Areas like welfare, local government, and capital investment projects are considered vulnerable to cuts, while demands for increased spending on healthcare and the criminal justice system remain high.
The NHS faces historically high waiting lists, courts are grappling with lengthy backlogs, and the government has been forced to release prisoners early, further highlighting the need for additional funding in these areas.
While Prime Minister Starmer has acknowledged the need for “tough decisions” to invest in the future, several cabinet ministers have sought his support to reverse some of the intended cuts. The discontent appears to be widespread, extending across various ministerial portfolios and factions within the Labour Party.
