The Spectator

George Osborne’s ‘fight for full employment’ speech – full text

In a speech given at Tilbury Port in Essex, Chancellor George Osborne hailed cuts to business and personal taxes this week as the ‘biggest in two decades’ – and committed to ‘fight for full employment in Britain’. Here’s what he said:-

Thank you for coming here to Tilbury Port, this morning.

We’re all here at the start of the most important week of changes to our tax system for a generation.

These are the biggest cuts to personal and business taxes for two decades, and we’re making our benefit system more affordable and fairer too.

Changes which will affect the lives of millions of people.

Whether you are working or looking for work; whether you’re starting your own business or hiring someone new – these changes will help.

They are part of our long term plan to build a more resilient economy and create jobs.

Jobs are at the heart of what I want to talk to you about today:

Helping businesses to create jobs; helping people to get jobs; supporting people with jobs.

And it’s jobs that bring you all together here today.

That’s because each and every one of you has found a new job or an apprenticeship in the past few years. Or you have given someone else a job – some of you taking on your first employee, some because your firm is growing, some because you have made that huge leap and started a business of your own.

You come from different firms and different types of work; different ages, different stages of your life.

You’ve come together today because each and every one of you knows what that new job means. The pay cheque at the end of the month and the security that comes with that. The ability to support your own family, to feel financially independent and to plan for the future.

This week’s tax and benefit changes directly affect you – and they directly help you.

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