James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, has welcomed key aspects of the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review announced in parliament on Wednesday. It was the first multi-year Spending Review since 2021 and confirmed long-term investment in key national priorities including transport, clean energy, affordable housing, skills and farming – with significant benefits for both Rushcliffe and the wider East Midlands
The biggest departmental winner, as expected, was health with the Chancellor agreeing to NHS funding increasing 3% a year. In line with the previous week’s Strategic Defence Review, there was also a significant increase in capital spending for defence, with a £2 billion real terms increase for education by 2029 and a 3.9% increase in capital spending for transport. Departments that fared less well included the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office, although the latter is expected to increase its day-to-day spending power as measures to tackle small boats take hold.
James Naish MP said: “The government has decided that the best thing for our country is to play the long game – clearly defining departmental budgets for the next few years so they can plan ahead and avoid inefficient, rushed spending. I welcome the fact that the Chancellor has committed to extra day-to-day and capital investment to ensure that over this parliament and the next, the quality of public services and our infrastructure improves.”
Wednesday’s Spending Review sets out planned day-to-day spending for all government departments for the years from 2026/27 to 2028/29, and investment spending plans for a further year (from 2026/27 to 2029/30). In effect, it represents the second part of the Autumn Budget 2024, with the Budget focusing on raising income and taxation which the Spending Review has now allocated.
In a statement lasting less than an hour, the Chancellor confirmed that:
- Total departmental budgets will grow by 2.3% a year in real terms.
- £190 billion more has been allocated to the day-to-day running of public services over the course of this Spending Review.
- £113 billion extra has been allocated capital investment to build transport networks, defence capabilities and energy security.
James Naish MP continued:
“Most voters know that our public services and the public realm needed investment after the austerity years, savings from which have been wiped out by the combination of Brexit, Covid-19 and Ukraine. The announcements made yesterday will make a real difference – not just to our area but to the whole of the East Midlands after decades of underinvestment.
“Today is the start, not the end of the process. I’ll continue working with Claire Ward, the East Midlands Mayor, and with colleagues across the region to get the very best for Rushcliffe.”
