Autumn Budget 2026: what to watch as the Chancellor prepares her statement
The Treasury has confirmed the Autumn Budget will be delivered this autumn. Here is what is known, what is speculated, and what to watch.
The Treasury has confirmed that the Autumn Budget will be delivered this autumn, with the Chancellor expected to set out the Government's tax and spending plans in the House of Commons. The statement will be the Government's second Budget and comes against a difficult economic backdrop.
Inflation has remained above the Bank of England's 2 per cent target, borrowing costs are elevated, and growth has been sluggish. The Chancellor faces the familiar pre-Budget pressure: to demonstrate fiscal discipline while finding room for the Government's priorities.
Speculation in Westminster has centred on whether the Chancellor will adjust fiscal rules, raise revenue through targeted tax changes, or extend freezes to personal allowances. The Treasury has declined to comment on specific measures, as is customary before a Budget.
The OBR's forecasts will determine how much headroom, if any, the Chancellor has.Daily Herald
The Office for Budget Responsibility will publish its economic and fiscal outlook alongside the statement, providing independent forecasts for growth, inflation, borrowing and debt. Those forecasts will determine how much headroom, if any, the Chancellor has.
Opposition parties have already begun setting out their lines of attack. The Conservatives have accused the Government of planning tax rises by stealth, while the Liberal Democrats have called for action on the cost of living.
Business groups will be watching for measures affecting employer costs, investment allowances and business rates. The CBI and the Federation of Small Businesses have both published pre-Budget submissions calling for stability and incentives for investment.
The Daily Herald will provide full coverage of the Budget statement, including analysis of what the measures mean for households, businesses and the public finances.
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