Chancellor can back 'One North' upgrades whilst delivering a surplus, think-tank claims

The Chancellor can make his autumn Spending Review "progressive" on transport whilst still delivering a budget surplus by the end of the Parliament, the think-tank the IPPR has claimed.

After George Osborne said in July he wanted to make progressive choices in his Spending Review, the IPPR looked at the figures and concluded he could choose to protect a raft of services and invest in the 'Northern Powerhouse' whilst still reaching a surplus in 2019/20.

The recommendations are targeted at making Government spending more devolved and integrated, and would allow Osborne to finance the £15bn 'One North' package of rail and road capacity to put it on course for completion in 2030, which it said would "drive economic growth".