Chancellor Rachel Reeves opens her budget speech in the House of Commons

Transcript

00:00On 4 July, the country voted for change. This Government were given a mandate to restore

00:19stability to our economy and to begin a decade of national renewal, to fix the foundations

00:29and deliver change, through responsible leadership in the national interest. That is our task

00:39and I know that we can achieve it.

00:43My belief in Britain burns brighter than ever and the prize on offer is immense. As my right

00:51honourable friend the Prime Minister said on Monday, change must be felt. More pounds

00:58in people's pockets, an NHS that is there when you need it, an economy that is growing,

01:08creating wealth and opportunity for all, because that is the only way to improve living standards

01:17and the only way to drive economic growth is to invest, invest, invest.

01:27There are no shortcuts and to deliver that investment we must restore economic stability

01:35and turn the page on the last 14 years.

01:42This is not the first time that it has fallen to the Labour Party to rebuild Britain.

01:47In 1945, it was the Labour Party that rebuilt our country from the rubble of the second

02:01world war. In 1964, it was the Labour Party that rebuilt Britain with the white heat of

02:08technology. In 1997, it was the Labour Party that rebuilt our schools and hospitals. Today,

02:19it falls to this Labour Party, to this Labour Government, to rebuild Britain once again.

02:30While this is the first Budget in more than 14 years to be delivered by a Labour Chancellor,

02:37it is the first Budget in our country's history to be delivered by a woman. I am deeply

02:47proud to be Britain's first ever female Chancellor of the Exchequer. To girls and

02:55young women everywhere, I say, let there be no ceiling on your ambition, your hopes and

03:03your dreams.