New Chancellor confirms Budget date to be kept at March 11

The government will not be changing the date of the Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

It will go ahead as previously scheduled on 11 March.

The news quashes speculation that the fiscal announcement could be delayed after Sunak replaced Sajid Javid following his resignation last week.

Sunak Tweeted: “Cracking on with preparations for my first budget on 11 March.

“It will deliver on the promises we made to the British people – levelling up and unleashing the country’s potential.”

Javid’s shock departure meant he left the Treasury without ever having delivered a budget.

He said he had “no option” but to resign because Prime Minister Boris Johnson attached conditions to him staying in the role which “no self-respecting minister would accept”.