London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

UK economy made worse by 'own goals' like Brexit and Truss mini-budget, IFS economist says

UK economy made worse by 'own goals' like Brexit and Truss mini-budget, IFS economist says

Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), said "we're about to get a lot poorer" due to economic "own goals".
Brexit, slashing investment and Liz Truss's mini-budget are among the "own goals" that have led to the UK's dire financial straits, according to a top economist.

Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), has been speaking about what left the UK in a position where yesterday's autumn statement - that will leave more than half of all households worse off - was deemed necessary.

He said: "Let's start with slashing investment spending, that was something announced under the last Labour government and continued by George Osborne.

"Cutting spending on education, particularly huge cuts to vocational and further education, but also to schools over that period."

Mr Johnson added that "very clearly, Brexit was an economic own-goal".

"There may be other reasons for Brexit, but economically speaking that has been very bad news indeed and continues to be bad news, particularly the way that we've done it, the hard type of Brexit we've had, distancing ourselves from the single market," he said.

Mr Johnson also pointed to Ms Truss's tax slashing mini-budget - which inflicted around £30bn worth of damage as it sent the markets into freefall, the value of the pound plummeting, mortgage rates soaring and forced the Bank of England to intervene to stop pension funds collapsing.

"Obviously the mini-budget of a couple of months didn't help. In fact, that was another large own-goal," he said.

While most of the policies of the short-lived Truss administration have now been reversed, Mr Johnson said the political instability of recent months was also not good for the economy.

"There have been three prime ministers and four chancellors in a few months.

"And to be reversing policy here, there and everywhere, to be uncertain about your trading relationship with the rest of Europe, to have corporation tax going up, down and round and round and round, all of that is bad for growth."

The chancellor presented his highly-anticipated autumn statement to parliament on Thursday, littered with stealth taxes and curbs on government spending amounting to £55bn in an attempt to plug the black hole in the public finances.

He sought to blame Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the "global energy crisis, a global inflation crisis and a global economic crisis" and said "we have risen to bigger challenges before".

But Labour has blamed "12 weeks of Conservative chaos" and "12 years of Conservative economic failure" for the bleak outlook.

The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned the disposable incomes of UK households would fall by 7.1% over the next two years - the biggest drop on record.

Mr Johnson warned that this will "hit everyone", adding that "middle England is set for quite a shock".

"The truth is we just got a lot poorer. We are in for a long, hard, unpleasant journey; a journey that has been made more arduous that it might have been by a series of economic own goals," he said.

As a result of Mr Hunt's announcements, the tax burden in the UK will now be at its highest since the Second World War, and there are stark warnings about increased bills and higher unemployment as the recession takes hold - as well as predictions the economy will still shrink 1.4% in 2023.

Speaking to Sky News earlier, the chancellor said it was "a difficult time for everyone" but tax hikes and spending cuts are needed to get the economy "on an even keel".

"Over the next two years it is going to be challenging," he said.

"But I think people want a government that is taking difficult decisions, has a plan that will bring down inflation, stop those big rises in the cost of energy bills and the weekly shop, and at the same time is taking measures to get through this difficult period."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×