Rishi may soon regret clinging to tax riches

IT HAS to be one of the best feelings out there. You put on a jacket, suit or skirt you’ve not worn in ages and tucked inside a pocket you find...a tenner! Quite why it’s so exhilarating probably defies description. After all, it is your money anyway – nevertheless it gives all of us such a buzz. We can only speculate as to whether the ultra slimline Rishi Sunak has ever experienced such a thrill, although looking at the snug fit of his suits you sense a crumpled fiver would stick out like a protruding flag pole.

But last week he had a sizeable unexpected boost to Britain’s finances to play with. Due to the rise in the price of fuel and gas, plus other VAT takings, added to a better than anticipated bounce back for the economy from the woes of the pandemic, the Chancellor can count on around an extra £20-£30billion pounds sloshing into his Treasury’s coffers.

The choice before him was plain: provide much needed relief to those on lower incomes by slashing the hike in National Insurance, reinstating the uplift in benefit payments and setting up a hardship fund for those who simply cannot afford their energy bills, or stash it away for the proverbial rainy day.

Four days on, we all know which path Rishi dished up, but did he get it right?

Judging by the initial reaction to his Spring Statement, the verdict is in, and it’s in the negative.and perhaps here’s why:

We are now living with the biggest tax take since the Secondworldwar.

We are about to take the biggest hit in living standards since the 1950s.

The choice of “heat or eat” has become a grim reality for thousands.

As energy bills leap by £1,300, Sunak provided no financial help. Struggling pensioners living on fixed incomes were ignored.

The temporary cut in petrol and diesel tax falls lamentably below the increase the Government is reaping through increased tax take.

Little wonder then there is growing resentment on the Conservative backbenches.

With some justification, Sunak points to a grisly series of global events.

The pandemic has knocked every economy on the planet off kilter and with the war in Ukraine following so swiftly behind, there is every reason for economists’ nerves to be jangling.

But jittery Tory MPS – many in their seats for the first time and answerable to voters in the North canny enough to know when they’re being taken for fools – are increasingly finding their voice to say this wasn’t good enough.

While extra cash has been pouring into the Treasury, households are on the receiving end of a mighty hammering. The Chancellor seemingly chose to ignore that.

Once hailed for his seemingly endless generosity, furlough schemes, “Eat Out to Help Out” initiative and other handouts, he now faces a distinctly different mood music.

Will “Nouveau Rishi” turn into “So Long Sunak”? Watch this space. ■ FIRST, they came for our statues.then it was street names. Then concert halls, university colleges and theatres. Now, it is an actual town the warriors of woke want to airbrush from history.

Lambeth Council in London – about as loopy and Lefty as you can get – has launched a “community listening exercise” for residents to see if they are relaxed about certain street names that are perceived to have echoes of the Empire.

But they’ve also included a question concerning how happy residents are with one of their suburbs being called “Tulse Hill”. The “sin” here is that former Lord Mayor of London Sir Henry Tulse after whom the area was named, derived “much of his wealth” from the slave trade.

It is worth remembering that Lambeth is one of the most dangerous boroughs in London and had the highest murder rate for some years at the start of the century.

Therefore, it seems likely its residents are more concerned about not being robbed or murdered than what one of their neighbourhoods is called. ■ WITH The Ashes over and ahead of this summer’s England rugby tour, we have a gap to celebrate Australian wine. This Robert Oatley Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon competes well with far more costly rivals and is £16 at Ocado.

Too many of England’s 1.4 million children with special education needs and disabilities feel left behind, according to children’s minister WILL QUINCE. Writing exclusively for the Sunday Express, he acknowledges the frustration of parents, and pledges to take action to get specialist help where it is needed. Here, the minister describes how his reforms will deliver ‘real change’ for children and their families...

EVERY child has the right to excellent education, health and care.this is especially true for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), who might need extra support.

I know that children and young people with SEND aren’t getting the right support consistently around the country.

There are 1.4 million pupils with special educational needs, too many of whom feel like they are left behind.

I understand how frustrating this can be because, simply put, any system that makes it harder for someone to get the support they need and deserve is not fit for purpose.

That’s why we launched the SEND Review. It is our response to every child and young person, every parent and teacher who has told us how they want the system to work better for them.

Over the past two years we have spoken to children and young people, their families and carers, charities, teachers, MPS and local government and organisations with a major role to play in improving outcomes.

Many parents have told me they face a system which is complicated and adversarial.

Parliamentarians and sector leaders have spoken of uncertainty over where help can be found, who should be responsible for funding it, or even when it should be offered.

This is not good enough.we have listened and we are doing something about it.

This week, we will set out our vision for a single, national, integrated SEND and alternative provision system that will improve outcomes for children and young people.

Our review will consult fully and openly on these proposals; setting out how the system should support children and their families, and offering a chance for those we haven’t yet heard from to shape the policy.

It is clear that inconsistent delivery and poor accountability has created a postcode lottery for too many families.we will address this, increasing confidence in the system so that everyone knows what to expect, when to expect it, and where the money should come from.

An excellent offer for children with SEND needs to provide

‘Postcode lottery for too many’

support from early years right through to adulthood. Our review will set out how we will make sure they have access to the right support, at the right place, at the right time – regardless of their level of need or where they live.

The review will build on new statutory academy standards being introduced as part of the Government’s Schools White Paper, to be published tomorrow, so parents can be confident that their school is inclusive and offers the right level of support.

We will also make sure that high quality specialist provision is available for those who need extra help, for pupils in special schools and in alternative provision. Children and young people participate in alternative provision when they cannot attend their usual school due to behavioural problems, or because they have been excluded.these settings do exemplary work but we know that children with SEND are overrepresented. I want to change the culture around how we talk about alternative provision, so we are clear on the benefits instead of seeing it as something shameful.

I understand all too well how challenging it can feel for teachers and support staff to meet the needs of pupils with Send.through the review we will clarify the roles and responsibilities of all the agencies involved in supporting those with special education needs, improving every teacher’s confidence and understanding.

Our vision for reform will deliver real change. But I also know there are families who need help now.

That’s why we are investing in the system through record levels of school funding.we are working with councils to manage deficits in their high-needs budgets and we are doubling the capacity of the supported internship programme, which helps young adults take the important step from education into employment.

And we will go further, investing to deliver better standards.we will continue to make families’ views at the heart of this work, to create a stronger, more inclusive system for every child.