Labour accuses Hunt of being ‘out of touch’, with voting under way in Kingswood and Wellingborough byelections – as it happened

Labour aiming to win two byelections as chancellor defends Sunak's record, saying economy is turning a corner'

On Sky News this morning Jeremy Hunt claimed that he would only cut taxes in a way that was responsible" in the March budget, and the chancellor refused to be drawn on specific measures.

He told viewers:

You will know that chancellors don't talk about budgets just a few weeks before and that is for a very good reason, because I don't yet know the final numbers that I will receive from the office for budget responsibility.

I would only cut taxes in a way that was responsible, and I certainly wouldn't do anything that fuelled inflation just when we are starting to have some success in bringing down inflation.

I am a passionate supporter of the NHS and all our public services, but in the long-run the best thing that I can do as chancellor for the NHS is to make sure that our economy is growing healthily. So what you will see in everything I do in the Budget on March 6 is prioritising economic growth.