The Spring Statement should have been a moment for the Labour government to change course.
Britain faces rising economic uncertainty, higher costs for families, and growing pressure on businesses. It was an opportunity for the Chancellor to admit that her policies are not working and to set out a serious plan to get Britain growing again.
Instead, Rachel Reeves doubled down on the same failing approach that has already slowed the economy and made life harder for working people.
The truth is simple: Labour’s economic plan is not delivering.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has halved the UK’s growth forecast for 2026 from 1.9 per cent down to just 1.1 per cent. That is not the trajectory of a country powering ahead. It is the warning sign of an economy losing momentum.
At the same time, unemployment is rising. Forecasts now suggest it will reach 5.3 per cent next year, higher than during parts of the pandemic recovery. Youth unemployment has climbed to more than 16 per cent, leaving too many young people struggling to find their first opportunity in work.
Why is this happening?
Because Labour has made it more expensive to hire. Their National Insurance Jobs Tax, combined with higher wage costs and new employment regulations, has dampened hiring across the economy. Even major retailers have warned these policies will lead to shop closures and job losses, particularly for entry-level roles.
In other words, the government’s policies are making it harder for people to find work, especially the young.
Yet despite these warning signs, Labour has chosen to press ahead with higher spending and higher taxes.
The tax burden is now forecast to rise to 38.5 per cent of GDP, the highest level in modern British history. Families and businesses will be paying more than ever before, while economic growth weakens.
Meanwhile, welfare spending continues to soar. It is expected to reach more than £400 billion by the end of the decade. Instead of tackling the structural problems in the system and helping people into work, Labour is expanding the welfare state while the economy slows.
And while all of this unfolds, living standards are set to fall. Real household disposable income, a key measure of how much money families actually have to spend is expected to slow further by the end of this Parliament.
In Crawley, families already feel the pressure of rising costs. Mortgage payments remain high, rents are climbing, and everyday essentials still stretch household budgets. What people want from government is simple: a plan that makes life easier, not harder.
But that requires difficult decisions, decisions this government seems unwilling to take.
Britain needs a stronger economic strategy built on growth, enterprise, and opportunity.
That means supporting businesses so they can hire and invest. It means controlling spending so that taxes can come down. It means prioritising energy security so families are not exposed to volatile global prices. And it means ensuring that work pays more than welfare.
Under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, the Conservatives are setting out exactly that kind of plan.
We have proposed reforms to cut welfare spending responsibly, reduce the size of the civil service, and abolish stamp duty on family homes to help people onto the housing ladder. We would back British energy production to keep bills down and strengthen our national security in a more dangerous world.
Above all, we understand that a stronger country begins with a stronger economy.
The Spring Statement should have been the moment Labour recognised that their policies are not working. Instead, it confirmed that they are unwilling to change course.
Britain cannot afford years of economic drift. Families, businesses and young people deserve a government that is serious about growth, serious about work, and serious about the future.
That is the alternative the Conservatives are building and it is the one our country needs.
