Halloween fiscal statement may be delayed as Suella Braverman’s return defended

Rishi Sunak may delay the highly-anticipated financial statement due on Halloween, a Cabinet minister has suggested, as he defended Suella Braverman’s return as Home Secretary.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hinted on Wednesday that the new Prime Minister may put back the medium-term fiscal plan so he can ensure it “matches his priorities”.

Mr Cleverly argued that a “short delay” to the plan and independent forecasts that had been brought forward to calm the spooked financial markets would not be a “bad thing at all”.

The Foreign Secretary also sought to justify the criticised re-appointment of Ms Braverman to the role she was forced to quit from last week over a breach of the ministerial code.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt arrives in Downing Street, Westminster, London, ahead of the first Cabinet meeting with Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister. Picture date: Wednesday October 26, 2022.

He argued that she has now apologised for a “mistake” after sharing an official document and denied her re-appointment was part of a deal to buy Mr Sunak her support for the Tory leadership.

Rishi Sunak holds ‘constructive’ talks with Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford

Mr Sunak will take his first Prime Minister’s Questions at midday on Wednesday, facing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Cabinet ministers have continued to arrive at 10 Downing Street ahead of the first Cabinet meeting.

As expected, Jeremy Hunt was safe in the role of Chancellor as he prepares to set out the Government’s medium-term fiscal plan alongside Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts.

Last prime minister Liz Truss was forced to U-turn and bring that plan forward to October 31 as she sought to calm the markets spooked by her disastrous mini-budget.

But, with traders appearing calmed by Mr Sunak’s victory, Mr Cleverly suggested it could be put back so the new Prime Minister can examine the details.

Mr Cleverly said the date was set with “no expectation of a change of prime minister” as he laid the ground for it potentially being put back.

He told BBC Breakfast: “He will want some time with his Chancellor to make sure that the fiscal statement matches his priorities.

“The Prime Minister and the Chancellor know they need to work quickly on this but they also want to get it right, so we’ll see what happens to that date.”

Mr Cleverly argued that “a short delay, in order to make sure that we get this right, I think that is not necessarily a bad thing at all”.

Experienced figures including Dominic Raab and Michael Gove were brought back into the Cabinet having been sacked by Ms Truss and Boris Johnson during their leaderships.

But Mr Sunak re-appointing Ms Braverman six days after she was sacked for breaching the ministerial code raised questions over his pledge to govern with “integrity”.

The controversial Cabinet minister was shown the door for the unauthorised sharing of an official document to Tory backbencher Sir John Hayes from a personal email.

The Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office inquiry, saying she must be sacked if she repeatedly broke the rules and “threatened national security”.

Mr Cleverly said the Home Secretary, who spent six weeks in the role before being sacked by Ms Truss, has apologised for the “mistake”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The Prime Minister has taken her apology and he has decided that what he wants is an experienced Home Secretary that has got recent – very, very recent – experience at the Home Office.”