WATCH IN FULL: John Healey sets out plan for Britain’s finances in first Budget statement

John Healey set out his plans for Britain’s finances in his first budget statement since entering No11 under Andy Burnham. The Chancellor insisted Britain was “defying expectations” with its economic recovery and pitched his plans as delivering “breathing space now, fresh hope for the future”. “We know who we are. We know where we're going. We can see the Britain we want to be. It's a vision burned into every line of this budget statement,” he declared. Mr Healey’s first Budget ran about 15 minutes longer than the shortest statement any Chancellor has delivered. The Rawmarsh & Conisbrough MP spoke for just under an hour, putting him well ahead of Benjamin Disraeli’s 45-minute showing in 1867. Read some of the biggest takeaways from the Chancellor’s first statement here. WATCH ABOVE Follow related topics: