An insider's guide to Budget Day: 'Don't fall off the kerb'

Former cabinet minister Darren Jones has given his predictions for this year's Budget, such as extra tax on banks and help with energy bills, but he also has insider knowledge on the drama and the pitfalls of Budget Day itself.

As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Bristol North West MP Jones worked alongside the last Chancellor Rachel Reeves.

"Don't fall off the kerb," he said of the moment the Chancellor stands with their Treasury ministerial team at Downing Street ahead of delivering the Budget to Parliament.

Jones admitted he had made mistakes during his time in government and he warned of the scale of the challenge facing Reeves' successor John Healey.

Jones is now a backbencher, losing his role when Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.

However, his two years at the centre of Sir Keir Starmer's government gave him a real insight into what is in the coffers - and what we owe.

"The national debt now is over £3 trillion," he said.

"We spend over £100bn a year of taxpayers' money just paying interest payments, predominantly to American financial institutions.

"You've got to pay the debt interest before you can pay for the nurses and the teachers and the doctors."

After his sacking in July Jones publicly raised doubts about how the new Treasury team would pay for new promises.

But since then he has paid visits to Downing Street, talking with the PM and his ministers.

As well as giving advice, it has given him an insight into what they may do.

"My guess, if I had to bet on it, will be that the government will probably do the banking surcharge," he said.

"I think it raises maybe £2bn extra a year.

"I think it will be popular in the House of Commons, especially if you're using some of that money to give people help with their energy bills."

He also spoke about the way the Budget was presented - beginning with the Chancellor and their team facing the media in Downing Street.

"When you come out of the door at No 11 on Downing Street and you've got the world's cameras, you are just desperate not to trip off the kerb - don't fall off the kerb," he said.

He said the red box "when I was there, was stored in a kind of Tesco carrier bag in one of the offices of the Treasury".

Jones said the appearance in front of the press outside 11 Downing Street was then followed by a journey to the House of Commons for the Budget speech.

Some announcements were trailed in advance, he said, though others were left for the day.

"It's the next few days that are actually the most crucial because you don't want the Budget to fall apart like it did do, for example, with George Osborne and the pasty tax," he said.

"So you take a deep breath and hope to get to the end of the week."

Jones said he would be watching the Budget from the backbenches.

He said that if he were asked he would be happy to advise or even one day return to government.

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