the guy running the obr used to run the ifs. you would get the same answer from the obr, i suspect.that both of you are trying to infantilise the nation and denied the nation a sensible decision we have to make, that if we want better social care and they better nhs, we probably have to spend another £15 billion on public services? borrowing is not too low, so we have two tax more, and we have to tax real people more to pay for extra public spending. do you have any agreement with that? and myjustin tucker ghulam? —— andi —— and ijust in cloud —— am ijust in cloud cuckoo land? it is not about being in cloud cuckoo land. we are trying to set out spending plans in our document. so you are against straightforward increases in spending? at the end of the day, we would not start from where we are now. the point i was making before is the question of investment. we are not getting the investment in the economy that we need. do you ever think that maybe we just need a bit more tax to pay for social care? you are from devon. what do your local conservative council say about funding in their

austerity, the head of the obr said it, austerity is holding growth back. 2008, below they were in 2000, 2007, 2008, below the banking crisis. this report weren't many councils in england we re weren't many councils in england were breaking point. one example of the effect that strict limits on spending can have. we won't see the chancellor's red box this week. the budget has been moved to the autumn. chancellor's red box this week. the budget has $151 n an ad to the autumn. chancellor's red box this week. the budget has $151 n an ad to ti on utumn. a m‘a spending contingency plans in place. homes and businesses faced days without running water after pipes burst during the thaw. china's parliament has voted to abolish the two—term limit for the country's president. the move will allow xi jinping to stay in office beyond the end of his second term in 2023, and possibly rule indefinitely. the amendment changes a rule that's been in place since the early 1900s, and has seen leaders serve ten years before passing on power to the next generation. john sudworth i

but the obr nonetheless downgraded its forecasts for 2021 and 2022 and labour accused the chancellorthe pressures on public services. our political editor, laura kuenssberg, has the details. is there anybody out there? number eleven didn't want us to pay that much attention. no fuss, no frills. reporter: do you have good news today, chancellor? only the chancellor slipping off to work. the speaker: statement, the chancellor of the exchequer. but what was this, a cheery philip hammond rushing to his place? if there are any eeyores in the chamber, they're over there. i, meanwhile, am at my most positively tigger—like today. not much has changed from the world outside. true, the economy will grow a little bit faster. the debt will start to fall, just. the day to day deficit, remember that, it's gone. but compared to other countries, the economy is sluggish and slow, only a hint of easing off months away. if, in the autumn, the public finances continue to reflect the improvements that today's report hints at then, in accordance with our balanced approach, i would have capacity to enable

mr speaker, today the obr delivers its second report for the fiscal year 2017—18, and i thank the fiscaltheir work. it forecasts more jobs, the team for their work. it forecasts morejobs, rising real wages, climbing inflation, a falling deficit, and a shrinking debt. chancellor philip hammond. in the last few minutes, president tom has been talking about his decision to sack his secretary of state rex tillerson. let's hear what he has to say. —— president trump.” tillerson. let's hear what he has to say. -- president trump. i am very close to having the cabinet and other things that i want, but i think mike pompeo will be a truly great secretary of state. i have total confidence in him. as far as rex tillerson is concerned, i very much appreciate his commitment and his service, and i wish him well. he isa his service, and i wish him well. he is a good man. i have been talking about this for a long time. we got along actually quite well but we disagreed on things, when you look at the iran deal i think it is terrible and i guess he felt it was ok. i wanted to either break it or do somethi

austerity, this isn't me saying it, the head of the obr has said it, austerity is holding growth backin 2007, 2008, below the banking crisis. this week a report warned many councils in england were at breaking point after cuts in central government funding — one example of the effect that strict limits on spending can have. we will not see the chancellor's red box this week. the budget has been moved to the autumn. his spring statement to parliament on tuesday will be just an update on the economy. and a reminder that whilst his political opponents say people have suffered under austerity for too long, there will be no spending spree any time soon. new evidence has emerged about an attempt by the construction firm carillion to get an emergency government bail—out of £10 million — days before it collapsed. mps say carillion paid out £6.4 million to professional advisers on the same day it sought financial aid. the firm was wound up with debts of almost £1 billion. the liberal democrat leader sir vince cable says britain is now mired in a "civil war" as a result of the vote to leave the

austerity, this isn't me saying it, the head of the obr has said it, austerity is holding growth back 2008, below the banking crisis. this week a report warned many councils in england were at breaking point after cuts in central government funding — one example of the effect that strict limits on spending can have. we will not see the chancellor's red box this week. the budget has been moved to the autumn. his spring statement to parliament on tuesday will be just an update on the economy. and a reminder that whilst his political opponents say people have suffered under austerity for too long, there will be no spending spree any time soon. jonathan blake, bbc news. the headlines on bbc news: sources tell bb -- the headlines on bbc news: sources tell bb —— the the headlines on bbc news: sources tell bb -- the bbc that the headlines on bbc news: sources tell bb —— the bbc that traces of the nerve agent used to poison sergei skripal and his daughter were found on a table in the restaurant where they take last sunday and that table has been removed. police say that the sick police office

austerity — it's not me saying it, the head of the obr said it — austerity is holding growth back.crisis. this week, a report warned many councils in england were at breaking point after cuts in central government funding. one example of the effect that strict limits on spending can have. we won't see the chancellor's red box this week. the budget has been moved to the autumn. his spring statement to parliament on tuesday will be an update on the economy, and a reminder that was his political opponents say people have suffered under austerity for too long, there will be no spending spree any time soon. jonathan blake, bbc news. china's people's congress has voted to approve a constitutional amendment, abolishing two—term limits for the country's president. the move will allow xi jinping to stay in office beyond the end of his second term in 2023, and possibly rule indefinitely. among the nearly 3000 delegates, just two voted against the change and three abstained. earlier i spoke to the director of the china institute at the school of oriental and african studies. he explained how

austerity — this isn't me saying it, the head of the obr has said it — austerity is holding growth backt they were in 2007—2008, below the banking crisis. so this isn't a matter for celebration. and do you know, in terms of the deficit, we were promised by the conservatives that they would wipe the deficit out completely three years ago. but i think what he's done — very cleverly, to be honest, and very cunningly — he's shifted the deficit onto the shoulders of nhs managers, onto the shoulders of headteachers and onto the shoulders of local government leaders. two very different views on the economic outlook for the uk. staying with the spring statement, measures to it caught the use of plastics are being introduced. the chancellor has called for evidence as to how the government can build on its plastic bag charge. its target is to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042. a quick look at the headlines. up 2042. a quick look at the headlines. up to 500 salisbury pub goers and diners are told to take precautions by england's chief medical officer, after traces of a nerve agent are foun

the obr falling, i have good news for him. wages to rise from quarter one in 2018, which in case he hasn't worked it out starts in two weeks' time. he talks about spending on the disabled, where i have good news again, spending on the disabled will be higher in every year of this parliament. he talks about research and development to support our economy and research and development spending is at record highs. he reels out the same old bogus statistics on regional distribution. i think he has the briefing from russia today! let me tell him this. the infrastructure authority has published figures that clearly show that the highest per capita spending on transport infrastructure investment is in the north—west region, not the last time i checked, one of the southern regions. all regions have benefited from the boom in employment. all regions will end this parliament with low unemployment and higher employment. he talks about £700 billion of increased national debt. yes, we have had to deal with the legacy of labour‘s meltdown in

adding it could equal 2 billion pounds per year to government desk costs and investment -- ob -- the obr assumed. two-year, five-year, 10 year, 30 year, and the boj met today. they stayed the course with their monetary stimulus on friday. final policyda's meeting before his new term begins next month. inflation is a far cry from the boj target and he made it clear during a parliamentary confirmation hearing this month that powerful monetary easing is here for a file -- while. peers who are raising rates or normalizing policy, this the inflation gauge with the boj lagging. fed's inflation gauge at 1.7% and the ecb is at 1.2%. tortney donohoe we are going the -- going to the -- going to. added the mostrs workers last month since the middle of 2016, payrolls rose by 313,000 in february, more than expected and the two previous months were revised upward by 54,000. the jobless rate is 4.1% for the fifth straight month. wages increased at a slower rate of 2.3% in one year ago. insulted, threatened, and mocked each other but president trump and teen gunman -- kim jong-un have agreed to meet for

austerity, this isn't me saying it, the head of the obr has said it, austerity is holding growth backhat they were in 2007, 2008, below the banking crisis. this week a report warned many councils in england were at breaking point after cuts in central government funding — we will not see the chancellor's red box this week. the budget has been moved to the autumn. his spring statement to parliament on tuesday will be just an update on the economy. and a reminder that whilst his political opponents say people have suffered under austerity for too long, there will be no spending spree any time soon. jon lansman, the founder of the left wing campaign group, momentum, has pulled out of the race to become the next general secretary of the labour party. in a statement, mr lansman said that he'd "decided to step back" having achieved his aim of opening up the contest. china's people's congress has voted to approve a constitutional amendment abolishing two—term limits for the country's president. the move will allow xi jinping to stay in office beyond the end of his second term in 2023 and pos