Budget: Hammond says it's time to 'seize the opportunities of Brexit'
The UK must “seize the opportunities” presented by Brexit, Chancellor Philip Hammond will say in his Budget statement.
He will promise to find the money to invest in Britain to make the country “fit for the future” as an “outward looking, free-trading nation” once it leaves the EU in 2019.
The man dubbed “Eeyore” for his rather gloomy view of Brexit is expected to strike a more upbeat tone as he delivers his third Budget address to the Commons on Wednesday.
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He will outline his vision for the nation as a “prosperous and inclusive economy” which harnesses the power of technological change and innovation to be a “force for good in the world”.
Hammond has already given a glimpse of some of those measures, including wanting to see driverless cars on the UK’s roads by 2021.
Aides have told MPs to expect a workmanlike, “safety first” Budget rather than any “big rabbits out of the hat”.
But with many saying the chancellor is on borrowed time, he will be under pressure to deliver a message that Britain is on the right track to leave the EU in rude health.
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In remarks released ahead of the speech, Hammond says he will use the Budget to “look forwards, embrace change, meet our challenges head on and seize the opportunities for Britain”.
He will declare: “For the first time in decades, Britain is genuinely at the forefront of a technological revolution.
“So we must invest to secure a bright future for Britain, and at this Budget that is what we choose to do.”
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Two Budget announcements leaked this morning were:
Schools and sixth form colleges will get an extra a £177m package to promote Maths – including a £600 bonus in funding for every new student who takes the subject at A Level
There will be £42m to boost teachers’ training in schools that have fallen behind, and £84m to triple the number of computer science teachers
