Budgets come and go, but the UK’s fundamental challenges remain. Real wages are £12,000 per year below pre-financial crisis trends, employers are investing 26% less in training per employee than in 2005, and too many people are outside the workforce due to long-term sickness. Taxes should always be as low as possible, but high quality public services are essential for growth too. The Government’s public spending plans could mean a further £380 million cut to adult skills in England - already £1 billion lower than in 2010 - and cutting off an engine of growth. There was little new on employment, but that follows more substantial investments in previous budgets. These were welcome and will take time to implement, but we need more ambition given only one in ten out of work disabled people get help to find work each year.