British finance minister Philip Hammond said an end to his spending squeeze depended on the country getting a Brexit deal and he warned he would have to drop plans to boost public services without one. Hammond, who is due to announce an annual budget plan on Monday, said the government would be able to show voters that “their hard work has paid off” if Britain achieves a smooth exit from the European Union in five months’ time. Hammond has angered many Conservative Party lawmakers by arguing Britain should remain close to the EU. “If we don’t get a deal ... we would need to take a different approach to the future of ... (full story)