John Healey: “The Treasury said no in the end.”

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

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.

As the UK’s second financial centre, Edinburgh is a fitting host for the G20 finance meeting.

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.