Great news if you like marmalade-stuffed gherkins – 24 funniest reactions to the wildest pre-budget price-cut teasers
As Barrington from Maid Marian and Her Merry Men never actually said – it’s Budget Day, it’s Budget Day, it’s B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-Budget Day, but if you’re of a certain age, that’s your new earworm. You’re welcome.
Just popped next door to see how John Healy’s getting on with his first budget. Hoping my suggestion to remove all taxes on cat treats finally makes the cut but I’ll take anything other than a complete Kwarteng…
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) October 27, 2026
As ever, there have been teasers ahead of the real thing, including the PM and Chancellor’s plan to introduce ‘everyday fixes’.
🚨 NEW: Andy Burnham has announced five "everyday fixes" ahead of the Budget
1. Carer’s Allowance will be changed so carers no longer lose their entire benefit when they earn over the limit – instead, their support will reduce by £1 for every extra £1 they earn
2. Import tariffs will be removed on more than 100 products, including baked beans, chocolate and gherkins, to save households up to £21 on their food shop a year
3. Tax-free mileage rates for workers using their own cars will be made permanent at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, with the rate for additional miles rising from 25p to 35p
4. Parental pay will be extended to over 150,000 more parents a year, including self-employed fathers and partners
5. Hundreds more Post Office drop boxes will be rolled out to save people queueing at branches
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 26, 2026
Marmalade and gherkins – not Cliff Richard’s next Christmas banger, but two items from the list of 100 items in people’s shopping baskets that will be cheaper.
Healey vows cheaper marmalade and gherkins in pre-Budget package of ‘everyday fixes’ https://t.co/RlVARpto4N
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) October 26, 2026
Before you get too excited, it’s not exactly the biggest money saver, unless you have very niche pregnancy cravings.
‘Your own figures says that will save the average household 40p a week’
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was questioned on #BBCBreakfast about plans to remove import taxes on marmalade, gherkins and more than 100 products in a move aimed at giving families "breathing space" with the cost of living
https://t.co/QpihbkdO3i
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) October 27, 2026
Tweeters had some thoughts, many of which were too NSFW to make our cut, but here are our favourites from the rest. Let’s all take a moment to be be grateful for some great British sarcasm.