Budget 2026: Healey hikes taxes on banks and landlords to fund £100 handouts to 20m households

Few surprises as chancellor uses low-key speech blaming ‘global economic storms’ for stoking energy prices and cost of living crisis Budget 2026: key points at a glance Briefing: key questions answered by Heather Stewart and Pippa Crerar Editorial: Budget’s bold ambitions and welcome first steps John Healey raised taxes on banks and landlords to fund a £100 winter handout for 20 million families as official forecasts made clear there is no end in sight for the cost of living crisis.

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In his first budget, the chancellor blamed “global economic storms” for the grim outlook, as the war in Iran drives up oil and gas prices. Continue reading...