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UK's finance minister Healey walks fiscal tightrope before first budget

Healey said fiscal discipline is his first priority as he weighs growth measures, regional investment and possible tax rises before the October 28 budget.

  • On Monday, Finance Minister John Healey delivered a speech in Coventry stressing "fiscal discipline" ahead of his October 28 Budget while outlining plans to boost economic growth across all regions beyond London.
  • Healey aims to balance Prime Minister Andy Burnham's priorities—social care and defence spending—within a narrow £24 billion fiscal buffer while reassuring bond markets amid rising borrowing costs.
  • The Chancellor announced £150 million in British Business Bank funding for fast-growing firms in northern England, designed to attract private investment and "create the new jobs their areas need" outside London.
  • Conservative shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith warned Healey's regional growth promises "will do little to comfort" families worried about tax rises, claiming taxes on working people will "inevitably rise at the budget."
  • Balancing public service funding against strict fiscal rules remains a critical test for Healey, with analysts warning that "further fiscal tightening" through tax hikes or spending cuts is likely to maintain market credibility.
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To reassure the markets, John Healey committed to controlling public spending but refused to exclude further tax increases at the time of the budget to be presented at the end of October.

·Paris, France
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  • 42% of the sources are Center, 42% of the sources lean Right
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Evening Standard broke the news in London, United Kingdom on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
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