According to a survey, 82% of tradespeople believe the Spring Budget will create issues for the trade instead of solving them.
The latest TradeBrain insight report from On The Tools reveals scepticism amongst tradespeople across the UK. Findings detailed that majorities feel the new budget won’t directly benefit them and won’t offer any short-term improvements to the industry.
The On The Tools: Closing the Gap white paper found that one in two tradespeople feel they don’t have enough colleagues to support them. On The Tools cited that this indicates that although new openings for construction based employment may become available through the new Spring Budget, there may be a lack of support to efficiently support and train new employees.
A total of 18% of tradespeople surveyed said they do feel optimistic about the new budget’s ability to tackle industry issues.
The data showed an overall mistrust and negative perception regarding the recent announcement, with many tradespeople not seeing how top-level announcements connect with their day-to-day work. On The Tools said this proves that huge national announcements, especially in the construction sector, will fail to reach success if tangible change isn’t delivered at ground level.
The report included testimonies surrounding the topic of the Spring Budget 2025 budget from tradespeople such as landscaper Tom Windle.
Tom said: “Personally, I don’t think the new budget will have any impact on self-employed tradespeople like myself. The skills gap won’t be solved immediately and it won’t be for a very long time, because there’s still nothing done at a grassroots level in schools and colleges. I’m a landscaper and there are no courses offered for what we do.
“Honestly, I believe the additional budget is just going to feed the big corporations, help them to tick their boxes, and keep their government funding them. I don’t think actual self-employed workers are going to see any difference.”
Lee Wilcox, CEO and co-founder of On The Tools, added: “The Spring Budget included some welcome steps, but this feedback highlights that many tradespeople still await real change. Issues like rising costs, access to training, and support for small businesses remain front of mind. These findings underline just how important it is that policy decisions are informed by the everyday experiences of those working in the trade.”