Autumn Budget will help the young, promises Hammond

PHILIP HAMMOND has vowed to help young people in his Autumn Budget, as he admitted that his generation had never been as well off as they were now.

The Chancellor, speaking to Tory backbenchers of the 1922 Committee, asked for suggestions on how to close the generational gap. He said that while many in his generation did not have to worry about mortgages and pensions, young people were burdened with tuition fees and debt.

The move comes in response to the success of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, in mobilising the youth vote and attracting significant support from students during the general election in June. Asked about the issues facing young people, the Chancellor is said to have responded: “There’s a need to address that.” Mr Hammond said that if people wanted to understand what life

‘Those who want to see what life is like under Jeremy Corbyn should take a flight to Caracas’

would be like under Mr Corbyn, they should “get on a plane to Caracas”.

He was also said to have criticised Theresa May’s election campaign. He said that the economy was only mentioned “on the rare occasions I was allowed to go out and talk in the campaign”.