Philip Hammond: Government announces plans for next phase of high speed rail

Good morning Conference. When I last spoke here in Birmingham two years ago, I shocked the audience by setting out Labour's borrowing plans - then projected at a mere £38 billion for 2009-10. 

The reality turned out to be £155 billion. I predicted then that we would have to clean ...

Philip Hammond: Doing more with less

The challenge facing whoever wins the next General Election will be a daunting one;

The backdrop is an unprecedented peace-time fiscal deficit, with Government borrowing more than a quarter of what it is spending. 

Hopefully, the recession will have finally come to an end and economic growth, however modest, will ...

Philip Hammond: Protecting front-line public services requires bold decisions

Last week, the man who has spent a decade wrecking our economy stood up in Brighton to plead for another five years to "finish the job".

And he expected to be taken seriously.

No vision, no argument, no judgement. No apology

Just a long, unfunded shopping list of spending pledges ...

Philip Hammond: Hard Times - Strategic Challenges for Government and the Public Finances

After the last three Prime Minister's Questions, the need for proper and informed debate is clear.

Let me start with the good news.  Gordon Brown was wrong when he said he'd abolished boom and bust - so we will come out of this recession.  I can't tell you ...

Hammond: Families key to Government

In his speech to the Conservative Party Conference, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Philip Hammond said:

"I watched some of the Labour Conference last week. It was better than a soap opera.

Tony Blair on his way out;

Gordon Brown on his way up;

And after that description of the ...

Hammond: Rebalancing Britain's pension provision

Speech to Pensions Age Conference 2006

"It's a pleasure to be here today and to have the opportunity at this critical point in the post-Turner debate to summarise, from the point of view of Her Majesty's Opposition, where we have got to and to review the nature of ...