John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, speaking ahead of the Budget said:

“This Budget looks more like a press stunt to hide George Osborne’s failures than about any serious policy.

"Take his education announcement, it won’t address the real issue in our education system around increasing class sizes, shortage of teachers and lack of school places by just forcing schools to become academies. 

"With only one in four schools getting any additional money for the extra hour he’s adding to the school day, we will see schools competing with each other for funding and parents will see their aspirations constrained.

"There’s further uncertainty of funding when it comes to the infrastructure projects that the Chancellor is set to reannounce. Only one in five projects in his infrastructure pipeline is under construction.

"And when you put all this together with the possible tax cuts that are floated, which will be paid for by more stealth taxes and cruel cuts to the disabled, this Budget from George Osborne looks to not be about the future, but taking us back to the old politics of spin and little substance.”

ENDS