he planned Budget last November was cancelled in the run-up to the election. The chancellor Sajid Javid has announced the next Budget will take place on Wednesday 11 March.

The chancellor has pledged to tackle the cost of living and tear up strict budget rules to hike borrowing for infrastructure spending. He will use the Budget to:

• Fulfil government pledges on tax to “help tackle the cost of living for hard-working people.”
• “Level up” economic performance in struggling towns in northern England and the Midlands
• “Build on” recent announcements to boost spending on public services and tackle the cost of living

But Mr Javid will have little room to manoeuvre with tight constraints on day-to-day public spending.