UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPolice use of drones as first responders was one of the more eye-catching measures that will affect law enforcement in the Budget.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he would prioritise schemes that will save money in the next five years, pledging £230 million for new technology including increased used of video calls and drones.Plans for trials where drones are used as first responders to the scene of emergencies were unveiled by police chiefs in November, with the firsts tests due to be carried out in Norfolk in the coming months.If testing is successful, the devices would be stationed on buildings and operated remotely to be sent first to scenes to give police early information.While initial trials, under a scheme dubbed Project Eagle X, will take place in Norfolk, further trials are planned for Thames Valley Police and Hampshire.Norfolk is one force in England and Wales that has limited access to the helicopters flown by the National Police Air Service because they are stationed so far away.Police in England and Wales are working with officers in the US as similar trials have taken place in San Diego.The hope is the drone would give more accurate information on the potential scale of an incident that a shocked member of the public who has called 999, and get there more quickly than a helicopter.Currently, police forces in England and Wales use about 400 drones that cannot be flown out of the operator’s line of sight.Plans are in place to amend those rules to allow police operators to do so, with initial trials taking place in areas with closed-off airspace later this year.Alan Pughsley, who worked on a Home Office-commissioned national review of policing productivity, said technological advances could help with tasks including redacting documents for use in court, and Rapid Video Response, where officers speak to victims via video call instead of attending in person.He said: “We’re pleased the work of our independent team has highlighted the huge time savings that could be achieved through better use of technology; time that could be spent attending more burglaries, more cases of domestic abuse, more incidents of antisocial behaviour.“The Policing Productivity Review has found that technology can enable the acceleration of existing tasks – such as redacting documents for use in court – and provide less resource-intensive ways of delivering services, for example by Rapid Video Response; something that has been well-received by victims of domestic abuse.Policing cannot afford to fall behind in this area, which is why today’s funding announcement is so importantAlan Pughsley“Around 97% of today’s science and technology investment in policing is spent on maintaining existing systems.“There is a balance to be struck between ensuring these tools are fit for purpose and making the most of new innovations.“Policing cannot afford to fall behind in this area, which is why today’s funding announcement is so important.”The Chancellor also said £170 million would be used to fund “non-court resolution, reduce reoffending and digitise the court process”.And he pledged £75 million to roll out violence reduction units and hotspot policing across the country.The policing productivity review demonstrated the breadth of work our officers and staff undertake on a daily basis and highlighted the importance of the greater adoption of science and technology to boost efficiency and free up officers’ timeGavin Stephens, National Police Chiefs’ CouncilMr Hunt said the spending review would prioritise schemes that would make annual savings within the next five years, equal to the total cost of the measure.National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Gavin Stephens said: “The policing productivity review demonstrated the breadth of work our officers and staff undertake on a daily basis and highlighted the importance of the greater adoption of science and technology to boost efficiency and free up officers’ time.“We welcome the announced investment in today’s budget and will examine it in detail to ensure additional funding has the maximum impact and supports us in tackling criminality, ensuring the safety of all communities.“The Office for Budget Responsibility assumes non-protected departments, including policing, will see a real-terms cut of 2.3% by 2028/29, which they acknowledge as challenging.“All police forces continue to face significant financial challenges and, to ensure that these investments are fully utilised, this must be underpinned by stronger long-term financial resilience.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJeremy Hunt has unveiled a further 2 per cent cut to national insurance in his 2024 Budget, as the chancellor seeks to entice voters ahead of this year’s general election.Combined with last autumn’s identical national insurance cut, Mr Hunt claims the two tax giveaways will leave the average worker £900 better off.Other measures to support people that were announced on Wednesday include an extension of the Household Support Fund and a rise in the earnings threshold for child benefit, from £50,000 to £60,000.But economists have warned that the national insurance reduction will still plunge thousands of families into poverty, with nearly half of the £10.4bn giveaway set to end up in the pockets of the richest 20 per cent of households.Follow our live blog on the Budget for more on Jeremy Hunt’s announcements by clicking hereThe New Economics Foundation had warned that a 1p cut alone would push more than 55,000 people into relative poverty, whereas it said Mr Hunt could instead have lifted 384,000 people out of poverty if he had chosen to put the same amount into boosting universal credit. The Independent’s Budget calculator, created by tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg, below will help you to determine whether you are better or worse off following Wednesday’s statement. Enter a few details such as how much you earn, whether you are single, if you in a couple or have a family to see how your finances will be impacted. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailMillions of workers will benefit from an additional 2p cut in national insurance as Jeremy Hunt announced moves to ease the tax burden ahead of next year’s general election.The Tory chancellor also confirmed another extension of fuel duty freeze – meaning motorists will continue to save on petrol prices.But to raise the money for the raft of Tory tax cuts, the chancellor also announced a new levy on vaping and an abolition of the non-dom tax status.The Independent takes a look at the big winners and losers from the chancellor’s Budget:Winners:ParentsParents are set to benefit from today’s budget as Mr Hunt announced that the high-income child benefit charge threshold will be raised from £50,000 to £60,000 and the taper – which applies when an individual’s income increases beyond the threshold of £60,000, meaning they will gradually lose eligibility for child benefit – will extend up to £80,000. He explained: “That means no one earning under £60,000 will pay the charge, taking 170,000 families out of paying it altogether. And because of the higher taper and threshold, nearly half a million families with children will save an average of around £1,300 next year.”MotoristsIn a move that many motorists will welcome, Mr Hunt has announced the government will spend £5bn to freeze fuel duty.This will maintain a 5p cut in fuel tax – which was first announced in 2011-  that brought petrol prices down. WorkersFrom April 6, Jeremy Hunt has announced a further 2p cut to National Insurance, on top of a previous cut announced in the Autumn Statement.This tax cut will cost the government £10bn and will benefit workers who will see a reduction in contributions paid on their earnings.But think tanks have warned that the 2p cut will result in thousands being plunged into poverty and say it could exacerbate financial inequalities since those families rely on the services funded by taxation.Mr Hunt said this means an additional £450 a year for a typical employee.InvestorsMr Hunt announced a plan for new British ISA, allowing £5,000 investments in UK firms as part of his plan to make the UK the world’s next Silicon Valley.He said the move would “encourage more people to invest in UK assets”.Researchers The chancellor also announced a £360m research package to boost British manufacturing, which the chancellor said would boost manufacturing and research and development, including electric vehicles and pharmaceuticals.Film-makers and creative industriesFil and TV studios will have been handed a 40 per cent corporate tax relief, as Mr Hunt said the UK will be “second only to Hollywood” for film making.The plan covers independent films shot in the UK that have a budget less than $19 million.Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was delivered his Budget in parliament today LosersHome buyersThere was little relief for homebuyers in the chancellor’s statement.The Independent revealed earlier this year the Treasury was looking at helping those desperate to get on the property ladder by backing 99 per cent mortgages.But the idea did not make the cut.Non-domsIn a dramatic U-turn the chancellor announced plans to crackdown on the tax breaks for controversial non-doms in the Budget.The tax loophole hit the headlines two years ago when it was revealed the prime minister’s wife was a non-dom, a person who lives in the UK but is not settled here permanently, meaning they only pay UK tax on money made in this country. Mr Hunt had previously rejected calls to reform the rules, warning it would send high earners overseas.But in the end he decided he needed the money the changes would rase.Owners of holiday letsThe chancellor also unveiled a tax raid on the owners of short-term holiday lets. Higher taxes on second homes used as holiday lets are expected to raise hundreds of millions of pounds.But the Conservatives have been warned the change will harm tourist hubs across the country.SmokersBad news for smokers as the chancellor announced the introduction of a levy on vaping products from October 2026 in a bid to discourage non-smokers from taking up vaping.He also announced that there will be an increase in tobacco duties.Oil and gas companiesChancellor Jeremy Hunt extended the Energy Profits Levy for an additional year, blaming the increase in energy prices caused by the Ukraine war. The windfall tax applies to profits made from extracting UK oil and gas and in its first year the scheme brought the UK government an extra £2.6bn.Rishi Sunak introduced the 25 per cent energy profits levy when he was chancellor to help fund cost-of-living support for UK families. That was increased to 35 per cent in January 2023.Mr Hunt announced that extending the sunset on the Energy Profits Levy for an additional year to 2029 will raise £1.5 billion. More