Budget 2017: more money for public services, please

At lunchtime today, Philip Hammond will reveal his latest Budget. Against a likely backdrop of downgrades for the economy from the OBR, the Chancellor will be under immense pressure to provide a sound plan going forward on many issues. The NHS has already had its call for an emergency boost of £4 billion rejected, but there will need to be at least some answers to the problems surrounding health and public services funding.

As a new survey by ComRes shows, this topic is one of particular importance to the public, with 67 percent saying that there should be more investment in these services, with a slight majority even saying they would personally be prepared to pay more taxes to enable it. Although the view is hardly unique to this government, a mere 22 percent said that they feel taxpayers' money is currently being spent wisely. Whether this percentage will go up or down after the Chancellor's statement today, remains to be seen.