Thursday briefing: What to expect from Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement today
In today's newsletter: The new chancellor is primed to announce a package of cuts and tax rises to confront inflation - here's what you need to know
Good morning. Autumn is such a special season: crunchy leaves on the ground, pumpkin spice lattes, and devastating fiscal events. Today Jeremy Hunt will mark the latter in the House of Commons, standing up to deliver a delayed corrective to the brief reign of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng that the government hopes will put the public finances on an even keel and set the Conservatives on a better path to the next election.
With 55bn in cuts and tax rises expected, that looks a very tall order - and critics of the government argue that this kind of tightening is exactly the wrong way out of the current crisis. Later this morning, Hunt will set out the specifics of a new era of austerity by telling parliament: We will face into the storm." Today's newsletter is your essential guide to some miserable November weather.
US politics | Republicans have won back control of the House of Representatives, scraping victory from a midterms election that many had expected to be a red wave of wins but which instead turned into more of a trickle.
Myanmar | Almost 6,000 people will be released from prison in Myanmar, with Britain's former ambassador Vicky Bowman among those to be freed, junta-controlled media has said. Thousands more remain political prisoners in the country, where the military seized back control in a coup last year.
Politics | Dominic Raab has formally requested an investigation into his conduct after two complaints were made alleging he had bullied staff. The justice secretary denies the allegations, saying I am confident that I have behaved professionally throughout".
Ukraine | Ukraine's air defence was probably responsible for a blast that killed two people in south-eastern Poland, the Polish president has said. As fears eased of a military escalation, Nato said Russia was ultimately to blame as Moscow had started the war.
Crime | The actor Kevin Spacey is to be charged with seven more sexual offences against one man between 2001 and 2004. Spacey appeared at the Old Bailey in July to deny five other allegations relating to three men.
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