英国预算危机浮现 伯纳姆面临财政压力

英国新任首相安迪·伯纳姆在议会首次答辩会上遭遇严峻的财政现实。债务市场对政府前景信心不足，10年期国债收益率于周三达到5.3%，创金融危机以来新高1。净公共债务已逼近3万亿英镑，年度债务服务成本高达130亿英镑1。

在质询中，伯纳姆对是否能拒绝任何支出请求避而不答，暴露出其在控制开支上的犹豫1。保守党领导人凯米·巴登诺奇直指这一点，质问伯纳姆"能否列举一项你回绝过的支出请求"1。公共开支压力确实巨大：社会保障支出去年达407.3亿英镑，较前年增加21亿英镑；健康开支为217.4亿英镑，增幅达12.7亿英镑1。残疾人福利预测尤为突出，预计从目前的39.1亿英镑升至2029年的58.1亿英镑1。同时，残疾人领取福利者人数在20年间从440万增至690万，约占全国人口的11%1。

财政大臣约翰·希利将于10月28日公布预算案1。工党议员坦·德西警告称未来可能面临"财政事件"，并敦促政府在2030年前达成国防开支占国内生产总值3%的目标1。

Prime Minister Andy Burnham faced tough scrutiny over Britain's deteriorating fiscal position during his first parliamentary question time, as the government grapples with mounting debt and constrained public finances. The UK's 10-year government bond yield climbed to nearly 5.3 percent, the highest level since the financial crisis, while net public debt approaches £3 trillion 1. Annual debt servicing costs have reached £130 billion in the year to June, straining the government's ability to meet spending demands across multiple sectors 1.

The fiscal pressures are mounting across key areas of public expenditure. Social security spending jumped to £407.3 billion last year, an increase of £21 billion from the previous year, while health expenditure rose by £12.7 billion to £217.4 billion 1. More concerning for policymakers, disability benefit spending is projected to surge from £39.1 billion to £58.1 billion over the five years to 2029, driven partly by a dramatic rise in the number of people claiming disability support—from 4.4 million to 6.9 million over two decades, now representing 11 percent of the population 1.

During parliamentary questioning, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham directly, asking: "Can he name a single spending request to which he answered 'no'?" 1, highlighting concerns that the government has not demonstrated the resolve to refuse expenditure demands. The pressure intensifies ahead of Chancellor John Healey's budget announcement scheduled for October 28 1. Labour MP Tan Dhesi has already warned of a potential "fiscal event in future" and urged the government to reach its commitment of spending 3 percent of GDP on defense by 2030 1.