Hunt says it is ‘silly’ to see his autumn statement tax cuts as pre-election giveaway – UK politics live

In his autumn statement, Jeremy Hunt announced unexpectedly large tax cuts as well as a unique national insurance cut that will begin in January rather than April.

At Westminster, this gave rise to rumours that Hunt was getting ready for an early election. Hunt, however, asserted that he had not even discussed election timing with the Prime Minister and that it was “silly” to see his tax cuts as a pre-election giveaway. He declared without reservation that he had not discussed the election date with anyone.

The ONS’s release of migration statistics, testimony from Professor Dame Angela McLean, and remarks from Minister of Women and Equalities Kemi Badenoch are all on the agenda for the day. Hunt is visiting Wrexham, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies releases its evaluation of the autumn statement. A speech by Richard Hughes, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, and a lobby briefing by Downing Street are among the other noteworthy events. Rishi Sunak’s visit to Yorkshire is another.