UK Spending Review: NHS, Housing, and Asylum Policy

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a comprehensive spending review featuring a pledge to end the use of hotels for housing asylum seekers by the end of the current Parliament, projected to save taxpayers £1 billion annually. The review includes an extra £29 billion per year for the NHS, with a 3% annual funding rise until the next election, as part of efforts to reverse austerity and improve public services. Additional investments total £39 billion for social and affordable housing, £22 billion for science and tech research (including £2 billion for AI), and £15 billion for new transport networks in the North and West Midlands. Departmental budgets are set to grow by 2.3% annually in real terms, though some unprotected departments and welfare budgets may still face financial pressure. The government will provide up to £280 million per year to cut the asylum backlog and expedite appeals, while returning those without the right to remain in the UK. Reeves emphasized adhering to fiscal rules, funding public services through tax receipts and aiming to reduce public debt.