The Budget, Labour’s second since it came to power last year, was presented by Rachel Reeves on 28 November. While noting some positives, the FBU reacted with disappointment overall.
Some measures were welcomed by unions. These included the lifting of the two-child cap on benefits, which should lift 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, and the raising of the minimum wage by 4.1%, to £12.71.
The budget raised a substantial amount from taxes, primarily by freezing income tax and national insurance thresholds, and reducing the amount workers can put into their pensions as a salary sacrifice. These are both de-facto tax rises on those in work.
However, it did not introduce a wealth tax, and did not aim to reverse the effects of austerity or real-terms pay cuts suffered in recent years.
Steve Wright, FBU general secretary, warned that “without meaningful action on taxing extreme wealth, this Budget does not yet provide secure, long-term investment or break with austerity.”
He continued: “Although there are steps in the right direction, significant gaps remain that must be addressed if our public services are to be rebuilt.”
After 14 years of cutbacks under the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, the fire and rescue service had lost one in five firefighter jobs and dozens and dozens of fire stations.
Rather than repair that damage, the new Labour government last year imposed yet more real-terms cuts on the service. Across the UK, FBU members are once again running anti-cuts campaigns in the face of proposed station closures and cuts to frontline numbers.
The exact shape of funding for fire and rescue services in 2025-26 will be determined by the Local Government Finance Settlement, which is usually released in December and finalised in January or February. The FBU and fire services will look to push for more cash during that process.
Steve Wright added: “The fire service will continue to face huge pressure and the risk of further cuts, including fire station closures, cuts to numbers and continued real-terms pay cuts for firefighters.
“As an affiliated union, we will continue to work with the Labour government. But, under my leadership, we will stand firm in pressing for the investment our service urgently requires to keep our communities safe.”
