IFS urges Rishi Sunak not to raise taxes and to extend support for economy

Thinktank says additional support is needed to help UK face Brexit, Covid and global heating

Britain's foremost economics thinktank has urged Rishi Sunak to use next month's budget to announce a targeted extension of government support to tackle a triple challenge" to the economy from Brexit, Covid and global heating.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the chancellor needed to steer clear of raising taxes in response to record peacetime borrowing of about 400bn inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic and called on him instead to focus on supporting the UK's economic recovery from lockdown.