2020-03-14 The Week Junior

4 The Week Junior• 14 Ma rch

Homenews

O

n11March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

Rishi Sunak, announced the Government’s

Budget for 2020. The Chancellor isasenior member

of the Government who isresponsible forraising and

spending thecountry’smoney.

Whatisthe Budget?

The Budget is an annual statementmadebythe

Chan cellortothe HouseofCommons,which is where

Members ofParliament (MPs) debate and vote on

new laws. The Chancellor gives an update on the

country’sfinances, and thenexplains how the

Government plans toraise and spend money during

the comingyear. These proposals arethen voted

on by MPs. Sunakwasappoi nted Chancellor on

13 February,afterthe previous Chancellor,Sajid Javid,

resigned. Asaresultof this sudden change, Sunak

only had fourweekstoprepare his first Budget.

Whatisint hisyear’ sBudget?

At the timeThe Week Juniorwent to press,the Budget

wasstill being announced. However,the Government

had already revealed some of its plans. It will include

£30 million of new money to invest in sports and

PE lessons to encourage young people to be more

active. Officials said that spending on flood defences

will be doubled from £2.6 billion to £5.2 billion. This

is in response to the flooding that occurred in the

Midlands,Wales andYorkshireafter Storm Ciaraand

StormDenni searlier this year.Other announcements

include £120 million to be spent onrepairing the

flood defences that weredamaged during these

storms. As well as this, Sunak said £5 billion would

be spent on improving internet access in the UK.

Whatelse?

Sunak announced he would spendatotal of

£30 billion to deal withCovid-19–adiseasecaused

by the newcoronavirus (see page 2).Acoron avirus

is atype of virus thatcauses respiratory infections

(infections in the nose, throat and lungs, including

colds and flu). Sunak said therewould be support for

workers and businesses in the UK who areaffected.

He also said that the National Health Servicewill get

the help that it needs to deal with the outbreak.

WORD WEEK

OF

THE

Do you havealot of soft toys at home?

If thereare afew teddy bears among them,

you could call yourself an arctophile, meaning

bear-lover.Thiswordcombines

arctos,the Greekforbear, and

phile,someone who is very

fond ofaparticular thing.

If booksare yourfavour ite,

then you’re

abibliophile.

ARCTOPHILE

THEWEEKINHISTORY

On 15 March 44 BC, Julius Caesar,one of ancient

Rome’smost famous leaders,wasstabbed to death

by senators (senior politicians) atameeting. Caesar

had been made ruler of the Roman Empirefor life

earlier in 44BC. This angered those who didn’twant

him to have so much power,soagroup of senators,

led by Cassius and Brutus, decided to kill Caesar.

Romanscalled 15 March the Ides of March. In the

playJuliu sCaesarby WilliamShakespeare, Caesar

is famously told to“bewarethe Ides of March”.

15 March44BC

Julius Caesar is assassinated

Government reveals 2020 Budget

On Budget day,the Chancellor

is photographed holdingared

briefcase, known as thered

box. Thiscontains the speech

he will give to the House of

Commons.The firstredbox

wasmade in around1860 for

William Gladstone. Itwasused

by every Chancellor,except

JamesCallaghan in1965 and

Gordon Brown in1997. In 2011,

anew versionwasintroduced,

which is what the Chancellor

uses today.

Rishi Sunakbecame What’s in theredbox?

Chancellor on 13February.

TIMEIS

MONEY

In^1853
,Chancellor

William

Gladsto

ne gave

thelongest

Budget spe

echinh

istory,

atfour hours and

45 minutes.

JuliusCaesaris

stabbedtodeath.

The oldredbox.