{
  "id": 16921685,
  "title": "‘Is that it?’: Badenoch lays into Healey Budget speech",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/is-that-it-badenoch-lays-into-healey-budget-speech",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-28T15:10:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/is-that-it-badenoch-lays-into-healey-budget-speech/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kemi Badenoch has harshly criticized Labour leader John Healey's inaugural Budget speech, accusing him of failing to cut government spending and blaming the government for a projected decline in economic growth. \"This government has put welfare first. We are overspent, overborrowed, overtaxed and drowning in an out-of-control welfare system and this is his answer?\" she questioned. Badenoch pointed out the government's failure to meet the three percent GDP target for defence spending, previously committed to by Labour. Healey pledged to increase defence spending to three percent of GDP by 2030, but failed to provide a clear path to achieve this goal. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) also warned that economic growth would be lower than expected at one percent next year and then 1.6 percent in 2028. The deficit is now projected to be 3.4 percent of GDP in 2023, much lower than previously anticipated. Badenoch promised to cut as much as £70 billion from government spending, with half the savings coming from welfare. \"Next year, Britain will have the highest tax burden in the country's history,\" she warned.",
  "summary": "Kemi Badenoch has poured scorn on Labour’s welfare spending plans as she slammed John Healey’s inaugural Budget speech. The Conservative leader admonished the Chancellor for failing to cut levels of government spending and said the government was to blame for a fall in growth projections next year from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). “I [...]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}