The British Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has announced new economic measures to provide “breathing room” for families, ahead of Wednesday's budget. Among the main ones, BBC News reports, are cuts in duties on one hundred food products and a freeze on fuel excise duty. Healey justified the interventions by the impact of global events on costs, affirming governmental action.

The removal of duties on some foods, with existing tariff suspensions, could save families up to 21 pounds per year and generate an impact of 500 million. Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has defended the plan. Further measures include a tapering mechanism for the carer's allowance.

On Wednesday, Healey will present the new amounts for the Minimum Wage and the Living Wage. The Labour manifesto had promised the elimination of age bands; Reynolds clarified to BBC News that the commitment will materialise “over time”, balancing market pressures. Times estimates: increases of 3.9%, Minimum Wage at 11.27 pounds, Living Wage at 13.20.

The Conservative opposition has criticised the measures, calling them “everyday solutions” undermined by higher costs and inflation. Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith has stated that the announcement of “cheaper gherkins” is an insult to families affected by the Labour government's tax increases.