Kwasi Kwarteng creates further confusion as he insists fiscal plan won’t be pulled forward

Kwasi Kwarteng sparked confusion this lunchtime when he indicated he would not be bringing forward his fiscal plan - just hours after telling the Conservative conference it would be published “shortly”.

The Chancellor told GB News the medium-term fiscal statement will be published as planned on November 23.

On Monday night, a Treasury source had said the fact Mr Kwarteng had used to work “shortly” meant the plan was being brought forward and could be unveiled as soon as the end of the month.

But on Tuesday lunchtime, the Treasury said the Chancellor was merely “considering” an earlier date, and denied Mr Kwarteng had made a U-turn on a U-turn.

A source said the date was November 23 until an announcement is made to change it.

The Chancellor’s comment comes just a day after he performed an about-turn on the 45p tax rate. He had to drop plans to scrap the top rate following a rebellion from Tory MPs.

On Tuesday lunchtime, Mr Kwarteng was asked by GB News what “shortly” meant in his speech, to which he replied: “Shortly is the 23rd.”

Asked whether that meant he was not bringing his fiscal statement forward, he said: “It’s going to be the 23rd.”

The Chancellor was forced to agree to a financial statement to calm the markets, who were spooked by last month’s mini-budget.

Mr Kwarteng also blamed the “pressure” of the Queen's death for mistakes in the mini-budget.

He said: “We had a nation in mourning and then, literally, four days after the funeral we had the mini-budget.

“It was a high speed, high-pressure environment and we could, as David Cameron used to say, have prepared the pitch a bit better.”