Chancellor downed a pint of beer after delivering Budget
The chancellor was caught on camera downing a pint of Chancellor’s Choice beer after delivering his maiden Budget to the Commons, reports BritPanorama.
John Healey was captured pouring the beverage and then sinking it in one as civil servants cheered around him following a gruelling day where he laid out his economic plans for the country.
The aptly-named pint was created by Rotherham-based Chantry Brewery to celebrate the government’s cut to business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues earlier this year. In the video, Mr. Healey flicked his red tie over his shoulder before triumphantly turning the glass upside-down over his head.
Treasury secretary Dan Tomlinson shared the video on X with the caption: “The boss seeing off a pint of Chancellor’s Choice after a long day at the office.”
Mr. Healey’s moment echoed the past as he announced plans to raise the price of a pint by 2p as part of a package aimed at alleviating the cost of living for British households. He proposed cutting tariffs on everyday shopping items, including gherkins and chocolate, extending the VAT cut on electricity bills, and raising the minimum wage by 3.9 percent for 2.3 million workers.
However, his Budget has faced criticism regarding its handling of the ballooning costs associated with welfare, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch stating the country is “drowning in an out-of-control welfare system.”
Helen Miller, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, remarked that the budget presented only “a raft of fiddly measures but very little that will move the dial on growth.”
She warned that significant issues remained unaddressed, saying, “But on many other big areas – disability benefits, support for young people, plans for social care, and the path for defence spending – we are still waiting… the government has left itself many difficult decisions, against a backdrop of lower headroom, worse living standards, and continued economic risks.”
