At the budget last week, we made the right choices for Britain, cutting the cost of energy with £150 off bills, protecting the NHS and tackling the scourge of child poverty by removing the two-child limit. We also ensured that the revenue we raised through taxes was done fairly, with everyone contributing but those with the broadest shoulders contributing their fair share. As a result of the choices we made, the budget created a more stable economic environment, driving down inflation and government bond yields. This is vital for protecting our public services, when £1 in every £10 spent by government goes on debt interest.

The budget builds on the action we have already taken to improve the economy: providing £120bn in extra capital investment in such things as roads, rail and energy; enacting the biggest planning reforms in a generation to back builders, not blockers; supporting the expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick; and signing trade deals with the EU, India and the US. Taken together, these have allowed us to exceed our growth forecasts.

As I set out at the

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