Brexit Fallout: Last UK budget announced before Brexit

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Europe

01:37

Britain's Chancellor of Exchequer, Philip Hammond has delivered what will be the country's last budget before the UK departs the European Union. The Budget includes a financial raid on American tech giants like Amazon and Google, pressuring them into paying local taxes. However, as Richard Bestic reports from London, there's a question mark over whether or not Hammond's plans can survive Brexit.

The annual budget statement amounts to the most detailed planning for the year ahead for the British economy. Itemizing all those critical areas where the government wants to spend taxpayer's cash – the national health; roads and care for the elderly. And there was plenty of that, including an end to austerity.

PHILIP HAMMOND UK CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER "I can report to the British people that their hard work is paying off and the era of austerity is finally coming to an end."

However, the shadow of Brexit hung over this budget. Even though just five short months away, the prospect of "No Deal" with the European Union has distorted the ability of the UK government to manage its economy.

Should there be no agreement between the UK and the European Union, Philip Hammond admits he could be coming back to the Houses of Parliament with a new plan – one where all his financial projections have been torn up and replaced with a new and deeply uncertain reality. RB, CGTN, LONDON.