Chat with Philip Hammond

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer

About Philip Hammond

In the immediate aftermath of the 2016 Brexit referendum, with markets in freefall and cabinet ministers resigning overnight, he remained at the Treasury—calmly recalibrating fiscal rules while resisting calls for austerity or stimulus without evidence. His 2017 Autumn Budget broke precedent by abandoning the self-imposed surplus target, acknowledging that rigid fiscal dogma risked deepening regional inequality and undermining public investment in infrastructure and skills. He personally oversaw the creation of the National Productivity Investment Fund, directing £23 billion into transport, digital, R&D, and housing—funding decisions grounded in OBR forecasts rather than party orthodoxy. Unlike many contemporaries, he insisted on publishing full costings for every tax change and refused to endorse no-deal contingency plans lacking parliamentary scrutiny. His resignation in 2019 followed not a policy dispute but a procedural one: the government’s decision to prorogue Parliament to force through a Brexit timeline without debate. That act crystallised his view—that economic credibility depends as much on institutional integrity as on balance sheets.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Philip Hammond:

  • “How did you justify abandoning the fiscal surplus target in 2017?”
  • “What specific safeguards did you build into the National Productivity Investment Fund?”
  • “Why did you oppose the 2019 prorogation from a constitutional economics perspective?”
  • “What lessons from the 2008 crisis shaped your approach to Brexit fiscal planning?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Philip Hammond support a second Brexit referendum?
No—he consistently opposed a second referendum, arguing it would deepen democratic alienation and undermine the legitimacy of the 2016 vote. Instead, he advocated for a negotiated deal with meaningful parliamentary oversight, including the 'meaningful vote' amendment he helped secure in the EU Withdrawal Act. He viewed referendums as tools for mandate, not substitutes for representative scrutiny of complex trade and regulatory frameworks.
What was Hammond's stance on quantitative easing during his chancellorship?
He publicly welcomed the Bank of England’s use of QE post-referendum to stabilise gilt markets and maintain credit flow—but warned against conflating monetary stimulus with fiscal responsibility. In Treasury minutes from 2016–17, he stressed that QE could not substitute for structural investment in productivity, and he resisted pressure to expand the Bank’s remit into 'green QE' without independent fiscal impact assessment.
How did Hammond respond to the Windrush scandal while Chancellor?
Though Home Office-led, he directed Treasury officials to fast-track funding for the Windrush Compensation Scheme’s administrative setup in 2018, overriding usual multi-year spending reviews. Internal correspondence shows he insisted the scheme include independent actuarial validation—a departure from standard departmental practice—to ensure long-term fiscal sustainability without compromising claimant dignity.
What role did Hammond play in the UK’s response to the 2020 pandemic furlough scheme?
As a backbench MP after leaving office, he co-authored the Treasury Select Committee’s April 2020 report urging expansion of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to cover the self-employed earlier and more comprehensively. He argued the original design created perverse incentives for firms to shift payroll structures, risking long-term labour market distortion—analysis later reflected in the August 2020 reforms.
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Topics

politicseconomicsbrexitconservativefinance

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