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Rishi Sunak’s final appearance at the despatch box as Conservative party leader was marked by a jovial exchange with Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, 30 October.The prime minister thanked his predecessor for his “decency” and wished his family the best for the future.They laughed together as Mr Sunak, who is MP for Richmond and Northallerton in North Yorkshire, told MPs: “I’m particularly looking forward to doing the coast to coast walk that runs through my constituency and many others.”Can I ask the Prime Minister to ensure that the Coast-to-Coast (walk) does indeed become Britain’s greatest National Trail, and in preparation for my return to the back benches, would he meet with me to discuss it?”Sir Keir Starmer replied: “I thought he was about to ask me to join him on the walk, but certainly I will meet him.” More

Rachel Reeves issued a final message before Labour’s first Budget in 14 years was presented to the public on Wednesday, 30 October.In a video posted to her social media pages, the chancellor described how she “likes graphs and spreadsheets” and has been “poring over the detail” of the government’s upcoming economic announcements.Labour vowed not to raise taxes on “working people” in the days before the Budget announcement.However, other rumoured tax rises led critics to question who falls under Labour’s definition of “working.”The prime minister said the UK’s working people “know exactly who they are.” More

Martin Lewis has issued a pension credit warning to chancellor Rachel Reeves just hours before the autumn UK budget.The Martin Lewis Money Saving Show returned on Tuesday (29 October), and saw the financial guru take a question about the winter fuel payment from a woman whose husband died just two weeks ago.The woman wanted to know if she would be eligible for pension credit.Mr Lewis said: “You have to be on an income of under £11,400 to be eligible. It’s a very tight means test and is critically underclaimed.”Mr Lewis then revealed he will host a budget special of his show on Thursday and hopes the chancellor will join him.He warned: “I will be talking about winter fuel payment without you chancellor, so you may as well be here. It would be a lot better.” More

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will make history as the first female chancellor to present the UK Budget on Wednesday (30 October).Ms Reeves has repeatedly warned the Budget will involve “difficult decisions”, blaming the last Conservative government for leaving a £22bn black hole in the public finances.On Tuesday (29 October), the chancellor took questions from MPs in the House of Commons, where she vowed “no working people will have higher taxes” after she unveils Labour’s first Budget since 2010.From targeted tax increases to education investment, The Independent’s Camille Chorley takes a look at some of the key measures set to be announced. More

Rachel Reeves will present her first Budget as the UK’s first female chancellor to the House of Commons on Wednesday (30 October).Ms Reeves is the first female to hold the second most important role in government in 803 years of the office.The Independent takes a closer look at the chancellor’s life, from being raised in southeast London by her teacher parents, to becoming a school chess champion and working at the Bank of England.We reveal all you need to know about the woman chosen to change the country. More

Wes Streeting told independent schools worried if children will be able to access them after VAT hikes in fees to “cut cloth your cloth in the way state schools have had to do.”Speaking before Labour’s first Budget for 14 years, the health secretary addressed concerns from private schools who say charging VAT on school fees will “price people out.”Headteachers of smaller, specialist private schools say they have little room to make cuts so have to hike fees by 20 per cent – and parents are turning down places as a result.“You have hiked your fees up with inflation-busting increases year after year after year since 2010 and now you’re pleading poverty,” Mr Streeting said. More

Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch refused to say whether or not she wants to be prime minister.The Conservative MP, who faces Robert Jenrick in the final battle to become Tory leader, was repeatedly pressed on whether she would like to be prime minister, but refused to give a straight “yes or no” answer, when she appeared on Sophie Ridge’s Sky Politics show on Monday evening (28 October).Ms Badenoch said her interest at the moment was leading the Conservative Party in opposition.She added: “I am very well aware of how life could change for the worse.” More

Labour minister Pat McFadden clashed with BBC Radio 4’s Emma Barnett over the definition of “working people” as he predicted that this week’s Budget would be the “most honest” in years.The Today programme host accused the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster of “not being honest” as she said he could not answer her questions on who working people are.Labour faces a row over reported plans to raise employer national insurance contributions and capital gains, with critics arguing this would breach the party’s commitment to not raise taxes on “working people.”Mr McFadden said: “I think you’re going to get the most honest Budget on Wednesday that you’ve had in many years.“We’re going to end the fiscal fiction of things being announced which had no money set aside for them.” More