Wednesday, 26 March 2025
The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will unveil her Spring Statement at lunchtime today. It’s the opportunity for her to announce progress since last October’s budget, but instead the message is predicted to announce further public service and benefit cuts.
Dr Christopher Pich, Associate Professor in Marketing at Nottingham University Business School, says he thinks “managing the brand’s narrative” will be a key task in today’s announcement.
“The UK is holding its breath ahead of today’s Spring Statement. Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves is due to announce eye-watering cuts to public expenditure in an attempt to stabilise the economy and promote growth.
“The Spring Statement is positioned as an opportunity for the Chancellor to update the nation on the economy, public finances, and progress against the Government’s economic objectives, and is "definitely not a Budget" according to the Treasury. However, with growth stalling and consumer and business confidence falling, the Chancellor may have no choice but to raise taxes in some shape or form later today.
In addition, Chancellor Reeves may be forced to pull a rabbit or two from her hat at the Spring Statement to sweeten the deal to appease Labour backbench MPs and motivate loyal Labour voters ahead of the local elections in May."
“Therefore, the Labour Government faces a challenge today: 1) they need to demonstrate that they are balancing the books; 2) reassure the public that the new Government can be trusted with managing the economy; and 3) safeguard the Labour brand to ensure that negative associations such as the perception that they are ‘the new nasty party’ does not stick and become a long-term association.
“In fact, managing the brand’s narrative will be a key task in today’s Spring Statement. Labour brand strategists will want to reassure the public that living standards will improve under their stewardship and they will argue that every decision is out of necessity and not choice. All eyes on the Chancellor at 12.30pm.”
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 24 in Europe and 15th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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