IMF’s anti-tax cut stance may give Rishi Sunak cover to resist Tory right

UK ministers will use improved forecast to claim plans are working - but IMF also urged more action to protect vulnerable people

Jeremy Hunt was quick to welcome the International Monetary Fund's improved economic forecasts. Britain was now on track for the lowest rate of growth outside a recession in the postwar era. Still, it was a big upgrade" from the Washington-based fund compared with a month ago, the chancellor said.

In its annual article IV health check on the British economy, the IMF said it expected gross domestic product to grow by 0.4% this year, tearing up its estimate in April of a 0.3% contraction.