Autumn Statement 2023: Key announcements from chancellor at a glance
Here are the main announcements from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement to MPs:
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicts an average inflation rate of 2.8% by the end of next year and 2% by 2025.
The OBR sees “overall” UK growth in 2023 of 0.6%. Economic growth of 0.7% is expected in 2024, doubling to 1.4% in 2025.
The independent forecaster expects debt will increase as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), the measure of everything produced in the economy.
Borrowing will be 91.6% of GDP next year then 92.7% in the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
The minimum wage – which the government sometimes refers to as the national living wage – will rise to £11.44 per hour from April.
That’s an increase of £1.02 from the current rate of £10.42.
This rate will now apply to Britons over 21, bringing the eligible age down from 23. For anyone under 21, the minimum wage is lower – but this is also increasing, as is the lowest legal pay for apprentices.
Those aged 18 to 20 will get at least £8.60 an hour from April, which is an increase of £1.11. For those 16 and 17, and apprentices, the minimum pay will be £6.40 – a rise of £1.12 on last year.
Benefits will increase by 6.7%, the September rate of inflation, as is customary, with the increase coming into effect in April.
The chancellor announced he will increase the local housing allowance rate to the 30th percentile of local market rents, which he says will give 1.6 million households an average of £800 support next year.
Mr Hunt reaffirmed government plans to remove benefits and step up monitoring of welfare recipients in an effort to bring more people into work.
Jobseekers will have benefits such as free medicines and legal aid removed if they’re found not to be looking for work under the Back to Work Plan which aims to bring 1.1 million people back into work.
The headline rates of national insurance for employees are being cut by 2 percentage points, impacting about 27 million workers.
Employees earning more than £12,570 a year currently pay 12% national insurance on pay up to £50,270. That will fall to 10%.
The cut will be in effect from 6 January.
For the self-employed, the chancellor said he is making reforms to the way national insurance is paid to save around 2 million people an average of £350 per year.
He said he is abolishing Class 2 national insurance – which he says saves £192 a year – for the self-employed.
Meanwhile, Class 4 national insurance will be cut from 9% to 8% on earnings between £12,570 and £50,270.
State pension payments are to rise by 8.5% to £221.20 a week, worth almost an extra £900 a year. The triple lock will be “honoured in full”.
Work to establish a pension pot for life scheme will be begin, giving workers the option to nominate the fund their employer pays into, which can follow them as they move throughout their working life.
A further £500m will be invested over the next two years to fund further “innovation centres to help make us an AI powerhouse”, Mr Hunt said.
Moreover, a “new, simplified” tax relief for research and development will combine the existing R&D Expenditure Credit and SME schemes.
Through that merged scheme, Mr Hunt said he will also cut the rate at which loss-making companies are taxed from 25% to 19%.
The full expensing scheme – currently due to expire in 2026 – will be made permanent.
This allows firms to write off the entire cost of spending on new machinery and equipment, while also saving 25p from every pound spent on other types of investment.
The 75% discount on business rates – the tax paid on non-domestic properties – of up to £110,000 for firms in retail, hospitality and leisure will be extended for another year.
Mr Hunt claims this will save the average independent pub more than £12,800 next year.
All alcohol duty will be frozen until August. That means no increase in duty on beer, cider, wine or spirits.
Mr Hunt pledged to provide £7m to tackle antisemitism in schools and universities. To be repeated is a £3m uplift to Jewish organisation Community Security Trust.
In an attempt to cut the time it takes for planning applications to be granted for businesses, the chancellor said he will allow local authorities to recover the full costs of major business planning applications if they meet guaranteed faster timelines.
But if they fail, businesses will be refunded in full and have their planning application processed free of charge in what the chancellor described as a “prompt service or your money back” promise.
People living closest to new pylons and electricity substations will receive up to £10,000 off their bills over 10 years.
The government will meet its NATO commitment of spending 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), the measure of everything produced in the economy, on defence.
The chancellor also said he will also extend national insurance relief for employers of eligible veterans for another year. This will provide £10m to support the Veterans’ Places, Pathways and People programme, he added.
Freeports and investment zones will be given 10 years of “financial incentives”, rather than five as currently planned.
There will also be a further three investment zones, Mr Hunt said, in the West Midlands, East Midlands and in Greater Manchester, while a second investment zone will also be set up in Wales.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the ship collision in the North Sea.
Humberside Police said the 59-year-old is in custody to allow enquiries to take place, and officers are talking to those involved to find out what happened.
The force added investigators have started a criminal probe into the cause of the collision between the Stena Immaculate and Solong off the coast of East Yorkshire on Monday, and are working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Ernst Russ, the owner of Solong, later confirmed the man detained was the ship’s captain. The shipping firm called him “the master of the ship” – which is understood to be the same as a captain.
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Sky News above North Sea ship collision
One person remains missing and is presumed dead after emergency services stopped their search on Monday evening.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is also involved in early work to determine what caused the two vessels to collide.
Read more: What we know about the collision
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Map shows moment of collision in North Sea
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson, said: “Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.
“Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected.
“Following enquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the SOLONG.”
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North Sea: Sailor presumed dead
He added: “Our thoughts are with the family of the missing crew member, and I have appointed family liaison officers to make contact and provide support to the family.
“The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst enquiries are under way, and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”
Ernst Russ added in a later statement that it could confirm the master of the Solong “has been detained by Humberside Police in the UK”.
“The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations,” the shipping firm said.
“Out of respect for the investigation and all involved we will not comment further at this time.”
Read more:
Oil tanker collision could have lethal ecological impact
Sky News above North Sea ship collision
HM Coastguard said in an update that the Solong is still alight
US tanker Stena Immaculate was anchored off the coast of East Yorkshire when the Solong crashed into it at around 9.45am on Monday.
Some 36 people were brought safely to the shore, but one person was reported missing from the cargo ship.
At least one tank of Jet-A1 fuel onboard the Stena Immaculate was ruptured, its operator said
At around 11.20pm, the Solong started to drift southwards away from the crash site. HM Coastguard said in an update earlier on Tuesday that the ship is still alight.
Tugboats are in the vicinity to ensure it remains away from the coast
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the container ship is expected to stay afloat, after a minister told parliament that it could sink earlier in the day.
She said she met with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s chief executive Virginia McVea, and was “pleased to have been informed that early indications suggest that both vessels are now expected to stay afloat”.
Ernst Russ also denied reports the vessel was carrying sodium cyanide and said: “There are four empty containers that have previously contained the hazardous chemical.
“These containers will continue to be monitored.”
Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of Jet-A1 fuel in 16 tanks, at least one of which was ruptured, its operator also said.
UK
Triple killer Kyle Clifford will serve whole-life sentence for murdering BBC commentator’s family
Triple killer Kyle Clifford has been handed a whole-life sentence for murdering his ex-girlfriend, her mother and her sister.
Warning: This article contains distressing details.
The sentence imposed by Mr Justice Bennathan means he will never be released.
The former soldier, 26, admitted murdering BBC racing commentator John Hunt’s wife Carol Hunt, 61, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
He also pleaded guilty to false imprisonment of his former partner Louise, as well as possession of the crossbow used to kill her and her sister, and the 10-inch butcher’s knife he stabbed their mother to death with.
Louise Hunt
Pic: Facebook
Clifford denied raping Louise, who had broken up with him 13 days before the four-hour attack in the Hunt family home on 9 July last year.
But he was found guilty by a jury last week after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court, which he refused to attend, prompting police and prosecutors to brand him a “coward”.
The judge paid tribute “to the astonishing dignity and courage” of the victims’ family, including John Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy, who hugged after the sentence.
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Footage shows Clifford fleeing the Hunt family home
They, along with Hannah’s partner Alex Klein, had read emotional victim impact statements in court as Mr Hunt said hell would roll out the “red carpet” for him.
He said the evidence showed Clifford “to be a jealous man, soaked in self-pity – a man who holds women in utter contempt”.
The court heard Clifford, from Enfield, north London, began planning the murders after Louise ended their 18-month relationship in a message on 26 June.
Carol Hunt pictured with her husband John Hunt.
Pic: Facebook
He tricked his way inside before stabbing her mother to death in what prosecutors said was a “brutal knife attack”, then lay in wait for an hour for Louise to enter the house.
Clifford held her for more than two hours, as he restrained her with duct tape and raped her, then shot her through the chest with a crossbow moments before her sister Hannah got home and was also killed.
He fled the scene and shot himself with the weapon as armed police descended and is now paralysed from the chest down.
The recovered crossbow.
Pic: Hertfordshire Police
The 10-inch butcher’s knife Clifford used was never found but police released an image of the packaging.
Pic: PA
The judge told Clifford, who didn’t attend his sentencing hearing, he went to the Hunt family home to launch “a murderous attack” on his ex-girlfriend’s family.
“You first killed her mother Carol, who even on that day showed you nothing but kindness in the moments before you attacked her,” he said.
“You raped and killed Louise who had been as gentle as she could in ending her relationship with you, after your arrogance and anger proved too much for her to stand.
“Then you murdered Hannah Hunt, who had done nothing to harm you save supporting her little sister.”
The jury wasn’t told Clifford had searched for Andrew Tate’s podcast less than 24 hours before the murders.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said “it is no coincidence” he turned to the “poster boy for misogynists – a poster boy for those who view women as possession to be controlled” the night before committing such “acts of violence against women”.
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