
一家领先的经济智库警告称,约翰·希利(John Healey)交出了一份“漫无重点”的预算案,对提升生活水平作用甚微,并让英国面临“痛苦的下半届议会”。
John Healey delivered a "scattergun" budget that did little to boost living standards and left Britain facing "a painful second half" of the parliament, a leading economic thinktank has warned.
决议基金会(Resolution Foundation)周四表示,旨在缓解家庭燃气和电力成本的措施,仍将导致今年能源账单高于上一次能源冲击期间的水平。
The Resolution Foundation said on Thursday that measures to ease household gas and electricity costs would still leave energy bills higher this year than during the last energy shock.
针对财政大臣在伊朗战争加剧物价上涨之际为公众提供“喘息空间”的努力,该基金会给出了极具批评性的评价,称希利的预算案瞄准不精准,给富人的补贴几乎与给穷人的一样多。
In a highly critical verdict on the chancellor's efforts to provide "breathing space" for the public amid the rising prices exacerbated by the Iran war, the foundation said Healey's budget was poorly targeted, giving the rich almost as much as the poor.
该机构表示,缓解生活成本上涨的补贴让最贫困的一半家庭今明两年平均获得158英镑收益,仅比最富裕的一半家庭获得的144英镑多出14英镑。
It said the subsidies to ease the rising cost of living handed the poorest half of households a gain of £158 on average this year and next, just £14 more than the £144 received by the richest half.
该智库首席执行官露丝·柯蒂斯(Ruth Curtice)表示,这凸显了“完全未能将援助瞄准最需要的人群”。
The thinktank's chief executive, Ruth Curtice, said it highlighted "a complete failure to target help at those who need it most".
作为财政大臣提交的首份预算案,希利表示将缓冲通胀上升带来的冲击,同时展示政府计划如何“重塑经济”以促进增长。
In his first budget as chancellor Healey said he would cushion the blow from rising inflation while also showing how the government planned to "rewire the economy" to boost growth.
旨在应对能源成本飙升的措施包括取消燃气账单的固定费用,以及向市政税A至D档的多达2000万户家庭发放100英镑能源补贴。
Measures aimed at tackling soaring energy costs include the scrapping of standing charges on gas bills and energy payments of £100 for up to 20m households in council tax bands A to D.
但在其对预算案的分析中,该基金会表示,希利是最新一位主导瞄准不精准的能源折扣计划的财政大臣,该计划“导致英国依赖35年前的房产估值来决定今冬获得能源账单支持的资格”。
But in its analysis of the budget, the foundation said Healey was the latest chancellor to preside over a poorly targeted energy discount scheme that has "left the UK reliant on 35-year-old property valuations to determine eligibility for support with energy bills this winter".
该基金会预测,从现在到2028-29财年议会任期结束,典型可支配收入将下降1050英镑,将整个五年议会任期内的增幅限制在仅600英镑。
Typical disposable incomes would fall by £1,050 between now and the end of the parliamentary term in 2028-29, limiting the increase over the entire five-year parliament to just £600, the foundation predicted.
柯蒂斯表示:“面对全球经济动荡的严峻背景,财政大臣推出了一份‘漫无重点’的预算案,对英国面临的尖锐挑战几乎无所作为。
Curtice said: "Faced with a tough backdrop amid global economic turmoil, the chancellor delivered a scattergun budget that did little to address the sharp challenges facing Britain.
“生活成本支持分散得太稀薄,甚至会让那些获得帮助的家庭面临比上一次能源价格冲击期间更高的能源账单。”希利说,英国正遭受全球经济风暴的冲击,预算监督机构——预算责任办公室——大幅下调了明年国内生产总值增长预期。
"Cost of living support is being spread far too thinly and will leave even those families receiving help facing higher energy bills than they did during the last energy price shock." Healey said the UK was being battered by a global economic storm, with the budget watchdog – the Office for Budget Responsibility – slashing its forecast for gross domestic product growth next year.
但他承诺要“引领我们穿越当下的全球经济风暴,为未来几年英国的新航向绘制蓝图,给人们带来对英国未来的全新希望”。
But he promised "to steer us through the global economic storms today, to chart a new course for Britain in the years ahead, to give people fresh hope for Britain's future".
柯蒂斯表示:“退一步看,这届议会越来越像是分为两个截然不同的阶段,而昨天的预算案对这种局面几乎无所作为。
Curtice said: "Stepping back, this parliament is increasingly looking like one of two halves, which yesterday's budget did little to address.
“前半程的特点是生活水平上升、经济稳健增长以及公共服务获得额外资金——这些由巨额增税提供资助——但这一切都不足以阻止唐宁街在‘中场休息’时发生戏剧性的‘换人调整’。
"The first half has been marked by rising living standards, solid economic growth and extra funding for public services – funded by huge tax rises – none of which was enough to prevent dramatic half-time substitutions in Downing Street.
“新入主者将寄望于下半程有更好的政治运气,但预计可支配收入将下降1000英镑,这可能会让前路艰难。
"The new occupants will hope for better political fortune in the second half, but it could prove tough going against a projected £1,000 fall in disposable incomes.
“可能需要更剧烈的战术调可,而我们并未得知政府将如何在公共服务雄心与家庭收入之间做出抉择。明年,这些抉择将不可避免地变得更加严峻。”希利还在预算案中纳入了对街边实体企业的减税措施,以及对银行和博彩业的增税。
"A more dramatic change of tactics may be needed, and we did not learn how the government will choose between public service ambitions and household incomes. Next year the choices will unavoidably get starker." Healey also included tax breaks for high street businesses as well as hiking taxes on banks and gambling.
为预算措施辩护时,伯纳姆对广播媒体表示:“通过市政税减免帮助2000万户家庭应对冬季能源成本,这相当大胆。
Defending the budget measures, Andy Burnham told broadcasters: "It's pretty bold to help 20m households with energy costs through the council tax cut this winter.
“让7万家企业彻底免除营业税,这也很大胆,这将给全国各地的商业街带来实实在在的提振。”
"It's bold to lift 70,000 businesses out of business rates altogether, and that will give a real lift to high streets up and down the country."