Spring Budget 2024: the Chancellor’s options

The Spring Budget on 6 March could be the last fiscal set-piece before the next general election, and may end up defining the campaign. Despite pressure to cut taxes, the outlook for the public finances remains weak, with the Chancellor's own forecasts suggesting he is only just on course to meet his fiscal targets after November's Autumn Statement.

At this online event, IFS researchers outlined some of the constraints facing the Chancellor ahead of the Spring Budget. They covered the current state of the public finances (and in particular how it might have changed since the Autumn Statement), some of the spending pressures on the government, and what this might mean for the Budget.