Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak reveals bumper Budget to protect hard-up families this winter with wage rises for millions

RISHI Sunak is today unveiling his bumper Budget to protect hard-up families this winter while still balancing the books after Covid.

Laying out his plan “for a new age of optimism”, the Chancellor is confirming a wage boost for millions of the lowest earners as well as public sector workers.

Rishi Sunak announcing his Budget in the Commons

APRishi Sunak holds up his red box with the Budget outside No11 Downing St today[/caption]

GettyRishi Sunak with his Treasury team in Downing St today[/caption]

Mr Sunak told MPs: “Today’s Budget begins the work of preparing for a new economy post Covid.

“An economy of higher wages, higher skills, and rising productivity.

“Of strong public services, vibrant communities and safer streets. An economy fit for a new age of optimism. That is the stronger economy of the future.”

Key Budget announcements include:

A wage boost for millions of public sector workers as the pay freeze is scrappedA rise in the minimum wage to £9.50 in a hike for two million Brits A further £6bn to clear the NHS backlog that’s groaning after lockdown A new £5bn pot for research and development into health A £2bn boost to build houses on brownfield land equivalent to 2,000 footie pitchesA £3bn skills funding with more bootcamp places for youngstersHalf a billion pounds to sharpen up maths skills for 500,000 adultsFunding for up to 8,000 new sports pitches and 300 scout hutsA culture boost with £850m pumped into museums and galleries An extra £435m to cut crime with more CCTV, street lights and help for victimsA further £700m to bolster border controls and fund a fleet to patrol migrant boats

WINTER OF DISCONTENT

Mr Sunak’s second Budget of the year comes amid dire warnings of a tough winter with families facing higher prices.

He is trying to straddle competing promises to balance the books after lockdown while also protecting households from a cost of living crisis as energy bills soar.

Read our Budget 2021 live blog for live updates

To get the nation’s coffers fighting fit for the “post-Covid” era, he plans to have Britain’s £2.2TRILLION national debt falling by the next election.

Government departments are preparing to tighten their belts to get the nation’s finances back on a more even keel.

But Mr Sunak seized upon upbeat predictions that the economy is bouncing back faster than expected which gives him more headroom to throw an arm around hard-up Brits.

Mr Sunak confirmed the minimum wage will rise 6 per cent from £8.91 to £9.50 for two million of Britain’s lowest earners.

He is also scrapping the pay freeze for teachers, cops and other public sector workers meaning their wages will likely go up next year.

The Sun revealed today Mr Sunak was set to reduce the Universal Credit taper rate to allow claimants to keep more of the wages they earn.

Ministers have refused relentless calls from campaigners including Marcus Rashford to keep the £20-a-week uplift to the rate hiked during lockdown.

But while they don’t want to extend the £6bn uplift Mr Sunak was expected to soften the blow by cutting the taper from 63p to around 60p, meaning for every pound someone can keep an extra 3p.

Critics say the government’s wage boosts are piecemeal and will be wiped out if inflation sky-rockets as feared.

SPENDING SPREE

Today’s surprise announcements come after a £30billion blizzard of spending commitments revealed in the days leading up to the Budget.

It includes funding to cut crime, “level up” transport in the North, catch illegal migrants, help youngsters sharpen up their skills and for more footie pitches.

A further £6billion has also been earmarked to tackle the groaning NHS backlog that has piled high with patients during lockdown.

Hubs across the country for people to get MRI and CT scans are hoped to slash long waiting lists.

The new money confirmed by the Chancellor comes on top of a £12billion-a-year health increase unveiled last month along with wallet-whacking 1.5 per cent tax rises in National Insurance Contributions and dividend payments.

Raging Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has scolded Mr Sunak for briefing announcements in advance rather than in the House of Commons.

He even suggested the Chancellor “resign” as predecessor Hugh Dalton did in 1947 after letting slip some key policies on his way to Parliament.

Ahead of Mr Sunak’s statement in the Commons today Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: “The Budget must take the pressure off working people.

“With costs growing and inflation rising, Labour would cut VAT on domestic energy bills immediately for 6 months.

“Unlike the Tories, we wouldn’t hike taxes on working people and we’d ensure online giants pay their fair share.”

TwitterRishi Sunak fine-tuning the Budget with his new dog Nova[/caption]

Mr Sunak rocking some £95 sliders yesterday