Spring Statement preview: Inaction is a virtue

Martin Beck, Chief Economist | Economic Consulting and Analysis

The Spring Statement on 3 March is set to be deliberately “boring”, and that may be its strength. With borrowing undershooting forecasts and inflation easing, the public finances have a slightly firmer footing, even if headroom remains tight.

The likely message is that stability and restraint, rather than fresh fiscal activism, offer the most credible route to growth, provided attention isn’t diverted from long-term supply-side reform.