John Healey: “John Healey quitting will send shockwaves shuddering through our military”

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.

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.

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

My observation on the banks is that people too often see them as big, distant financial institutions, when they are hardwired into the economic fabric of this country and our future prospects.