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If the UK government is to deliver on its promises, it must be willing to raise taxes

Tackling inequality and climate change will require higher levels of public spending. The Chancellor can't avoid tough decisions on tax forever.

By Robert Palmer
If the UK government is to deliver on its promises, it must be willing to raise taxes
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, alongside new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (right) | Matt Dunham/PA Wire/PA Images
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On Wednesday 11 March Rishi Sunak will deliver his first budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. But it won't be the budget he was hoping for.

Carefully laid plans to reveal the government’s economic priorities will be swept aside in favour of emergency measures to tackle the growing coronavirus outbreak. This will include support for the health service, employees who have to self-isolate and businesses suffering temporary cash shortages.

The Chancellor will also have to prepare for the medium term impact of the virus. Tanking stock markets, combined with the shock of Brexit and a dramatic reduction in global economic activity, means that a recession could be on the horizon.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0