John Healey: “The government's current plans to fund the military in the coming years fall "well short" of what is required.”

We will meet those fiscal rules, and I think one of the hallmarks of the IMF’s backing of our fiscal plans is recognition that there isn’t just a forecast for the future, but there’s some evidence of performance already.

Despite conflicts in the Middle East and Europe hitting people across the world, today's figures offer more proof of Britain's resilience in the face of these global shocks.

It's a sign of resilience in the UK economy that some had not expected

I want the budget to be a budget that gives Britain a bit of breathing space – but also reinforces the strength of our fiscal plans and the strength of our resilience and our economy for the future.