John Healey unveiled a budget that barely keeps pace with basic needs rather than promoting growth.
Under the Labour government, the nation now spends more on interest on debt than on the armed forces and schools combined.
The cost of benefits is set to rise by tens of billions of pounds, and next year the tax load will reach an unprecedented level in the country's history.
Healey left his role as Defence Secretary in June after the administration refused to allocate defence spending to three percent of GDP.
Nevertheless, his budget fails to locate the funds needed to meet the very target he abandoned.
Labour's policies have driven up hiring costs through a jobs tax, increased energy prices via Net Zero measures, and made mortgages costlier due to extensive borrowing.
The Conservative Party proposes to slash government expenditure by more than £70 billion, including a £36 billion reduction in the benefits programme.
Half of that saving would be directed to lower the deficit, preventing a fiscal collapse, while the remainder would be used to properly finance defence and reduce taxes.
This is the budget a chancellor ought to have presented.
The budget delivered falls short of those expectations.
