Adam Smith Institute – Matthew Lesh, Head of Research, said:
“Stamp duty is Britain’s worst tax. This temporary cut is the right move at the right time to get Britain moving. Temporary measures to get young people work experience, to build inwork skills, are also welcome in the face of an increased minimum wage.
“Furlough continues for a few more months but reality will hit eventually. In the forthcoming Budget, the Chancellor should cut the cost of hiring by permanently reducing the burden of employers’ national insurance, remove red tape like occupational licenses, and abolish the factory tax to get businesses investing in their futures.
“The stimulus proposals are very questionable. The VAT cut and subsidising restaurants will be expensive and provide limited benefit. People aren’t spending on food, accommodation and attractions because of safety concerns, not lack of demand or cash.”
Centre for Policy Studies – Robert Colvile, Director, said:
“We welcome the focus on jobs and training, which is what the CPS recently called for in our report ‘After the Virus‘, but the challenge will be how to support the economy as we transition to new ways of working in a post-virus economy.
“You can see the Government is trying to strike that balance with this package, but these measures are temporary, and will have to be paid for down the line. This is why we would like to see the sort of long-term structural change that will maximise growth, support businesses and encourage them to create new jobs without placing the burden on the taxpayer.”
TaxPayers’ Alliance – John O’Connell, Chief Executive, said:
“The chancellor announced a ‘plan for jobs’ but it’s tomorrow’s taxpayers who will have to work hard to pay for it all.
“While the jobs retention bonus will help ensure that the furlough scheme isn’t just an expensive pause on mass lay-offs, taxpayers will be concerned about how and when they will pay the bills for ever-more spending promises.
“It is cheering that the chancellor appreciates the economic benefits of cutting taxes and in particular lifting the stamp duty threshold will provide a boon to the housing market.
“That said, while easing the burden on taxpayers is always welcome, we must look at longer-term tax simplification and put a stop to temporary fiddles.”
Institute of Economic Affairs – Professor Syed Kamall, Academic and Research Director, said:
“We are in an unprecedented situation and there remains the issue that many individuals and families are fearful of leaving their homes to resume every day activities. The Chancellor can only do so much in terms of measures introduced to get the economy moving.
“The cut to Stamp Duty is welcome but why isn’t it permanent? It is a destructive, regressive tax that clogs up the housing market and limits labour mobility. Making it permanent would get the property market moving and encourage those who want to downsize as well as those looking for family houses, freeing up homes for first-time buyers.
“It is disappointing more was not announced to encourage private investment in infrastructure – such as reopening old railways or rezoning to allow homes to be built in places being vacated by shops, such as high streets.”
Resolution Foundation – Torsten Bell, Chief Executive, said:
“Today’s Budget in-all-but-name was a £30 billion top up to a pandemic response that is approaching 10 per cent of GDP and will push borrowing to around £350 billion this year.
“The focus on jobs and some, but not all, hard-hit sectors was very welcome. Kickstart jobs for young people represents a tried and tested policy, but the new Job Retention Bonus is poorly targeted at those jobs that are most at risk of being lost.
“The Chancellor is right to focus VAT cuts on food, accommodation and attractions. However, the lack of support for face-to-face retail means significant challenges for Britain’s High Streets. The innovative meal deal voucher scheme is far too small scale to make a significant difference.
“The Chancellor, having previously announced huge measures to protect household incomes, has now set out much more normal demand support for the next phase of this crisis. That might be sufficient if the UK sees the V-shaped recovery we all hope fora. But given that this economic crisis is likely to be with us until a vaccine is found, he should expect to be returning with further measures to support the economy in the Autumn.”
Centre for Social Justice – Edward Davies, Director of Policy, said:
“Getting Britain working again must be the immediate and most crucial priority for government and it is right that this underpinned today’s announcements.
It is low income and low skilled households that are most vulnerable to losing work. Work is one of the best ways to help people out of poverty, but it is about more than statistics and income alone. It is central to personal identity; provides structure and purpose to the day; gives opportunities for socialisation and friendship; builds our social capital; and guards against health problems from cardiovascular disease to suicidal thoughts.
But it is not enough to merely provide jobs. The people to take them must be work-ready.
There are other things we have learnt in this crisis that we must take forward to renew our social contract. From building on the social bonds that have sustained us to new and emerging criminal threats we must tackle, the Centre for Social Justice will be laying these out in the weeks ahead.”