Blog: A masterclass in smoke and mirrors

Christina McAnea presenting UNISON’s petition to the Treasury, demanding Chancellor Rishi Sunak rebuild public services. © Jess Hurd
For days we’ve been bombarded with big pre-budget announcements from the Treasury on ending the pay freeze and investing in the NHS. And today we heard from Chancellor Rishi Sunak directly about a new age of optimism, of rising wages, investment in public services and levelling up.
It’s designed to dazzle and gloss over the really important d