Left-wingers are pushing the Chancellor to increase taxes on the ultra-rich. Faiza Shaheen, Executive Director at Tax Justice UK, said: “For six months, we’ve had tax policies leaked and drip-fed through the press, from income tax rises to a mansion tax. This triggered immediate backlash, with lobbyists pushing back on taxes on wealth including an exit tax, equalising capital gains with income taxes, and national insurance on partnership profits.

“At the Budget, we will finally find out if the Chancellor has listened to the millions feeling the squeeze, or the London lobbyists representing the super-rich. We hope Reeves sticks to the values of a Labour Chancellor and focuses her Budget on taxing extreme wealth to invest in Britain and improve living standards for everyday people.”

The Prime Minister will talk about the US “peace plan” for Ukraine in the Commons later.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had a “good and very productive” conversation with Sir Keir Starmer on Tuesday.

He said: “I thanked the Prime Minister for the condolences he expressed to the Ukrainian people. Last night, Russia launched another attack – at a time when Ukraine, together with America, Europe, and many others around the world, are working virtually around the clock to stop the bloodshed.

“Following the meetings in Geneva, we see many prospects that can make the path to peace real. There are solid results, and much work still lies ahead.

“Today, a meeting of the coalition of the willing will take place. We have coordinated our positions and the priority issues for discussion, as well as some of our next steps and contacts.”

Ministers have backed plans from Heathrow Airport’s owners that would see the M25 moved to make way for a third runway.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander rejected a rival proposal from Arora Group, saying Heathrow’s own plans were “the most credible and deliverable option”.

The Heathrow proposals involve building a 3,500-metre runway and require a new M25 tunnel and bridges to be built 130 metres west of the existing motorway.

The Arora plan, put forward by a group led by hotel tycoon Surinder Arora, was for a shorter, 2,800-metre runway that would not require diverting the M25.

But in a written statement to Parliament, Ms Alexander said the proposal would still have “a considerable impact” on the motorway, and require the compulsory purchase of more homes around the airport.

The chairman of the Commons culture select committee has questioned whether the BBC board is in “safe hands” with its chairman Samir Shah after he was unable to give “direct answers” at an evidence session focusing on impartiality.

Mr Shah gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday and was asked about the action he would take following a leaked memo from former editorial adviser Michael Prescott which raised concerns that a speech by US President Donald Trump, featured in a Panorama episode, was selectively edited.

The fallout from the report, which saw Mr Trump threaten the BBC with a billion-dollar litigation, led to the resignation of both director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight programme, chairwoman of the CMS Committee Dame Caroline Dinenage said there is “chaos at the heart of the BBC board” and “clearly some issues of governance”.

Rachel Reeves has urged Labour MPs to back her forthcoming Budget, as the final day before the major Government financial statement dawns.

The Chancellor is due to deliver her second budget in the House of Commons on Wednesday, in which she is widely expected to pull the lever on tax hikes in order to fill a black hole in the public finances.

Ms Reeves called for unity within the Labour Party as she spoke to restive backbenchers on Monday night, urging them to support her efforts to steer the national economy.

Many Labour MPs are understood to have become increasingly frustrated about the prospect of tax rises on the horizon, amid their party’s opinion poll slump less than two years into a term of government.

At the gathering of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Ms Reeves told MPs that politics is a “team sport”, in an apparent call for unity.

The Chancellor’s decision to remind MPs of this was “because united parties are the ones who win elections”, according to a Treasury spokesman.

Yet another wealthy British resident has packed his bags and is heading for Luxembourg, ahead of Rachel Reeves’ Budget.

James Brocklebank, the head of Europe at equity group Advent International, is the latest top earner to quit and take his cash away from Rachel Reeves’ ongoing tax-grabs.

It comes after a run of other departures, including Revolut co-founder Nik Storonsky, steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and Egyptian industrialist Nassef Sawiris.

Robert Jenrick has condemned top Labour politicians for recent comments and policy announcements made while ordinary people are terrified of tomorrow’s Budget.

In a post on X the top Tory blasted:

“Streeting: Let’s experiment on 10 year old children.

“Reeves: Criticism is misogyny.

“Starmer: I say 6-7 like the kids.

“Meanwhile, taxes and bills are surging. And the already meagre growth forecasts are being downgraded.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has led a protest outside parliament, including several Labour MPs, demanding Rachel Reeves introduce a wealth tax in tomorrow’s Budget.

They stood beside a large pile of bags of fake cash, representing the £24 billion revenue they say could be raised by an annual wealth tax of 2% on individuals with assets over £10 million.

The hard-left Labour MPs were Neil Duncan Jordan, Ian Byrne, Steve Witherden, Kim Johnson, Richard Burgon and Brian Leishman

A top CEO has blasted Rachel Reeves’ plan to increase welfare spending as “madness”.

The boss of electricals retailer AO World called on the Chancellor to focus on cutting welfare spending rather than hitting businesses with more taxes, branding reported plans to scrap the two-child benefit cap as “madness”.

John Roberts said the Labour party needed to “man up” and “make some difficult decisions” in Wednesday’s Budget.

Top Tory Sir James Cleverly has publicly slapped down his party’s chairman over a social media post comparing Reform UK to the Nazis.

Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for Thirsk and Malton, made the comparison on social media on Sunday evening following the announcement of new Reform UK merchandise.

This morning Sir James Cleverly fumed: “I don’t think that was a particularly good post.”

“I don’t think it made the point that I think he was trying to make.”

Amid fury from Nigel Farage, yesterday Kemi Badenoch refused to criticise the post.

A health minister said strikes “knock some of that improvement off course” but in the NHS “green shoots are there”, as she was questioned about the prospect of increased health service funding paid for through tax rises.

Asked whether a potential boost to the NHS in the Budget would merely be spent on striking residential doctors, Karin Smyth told Sky News: “The Chancellor protected the NHS and our public services in the last budget and that, as you’ve outlined, does involve those hard choices, but it is yielding results.

“Those waiting lists are coming down by over 200,000, we had more GPs put into post, access is improving. It’s got a long way to go.

“We understand that. It is really difficult. The strikes are really difficult. They do knock some of that improvement off course, but those green shoots are there.

“And I think people are starting to feel that, and staff are starting to feel that.”

Asked whether there should be more focus on “competence and success” than “identity politics”, or whether she thought it was true that Ms Reeves had faced misogyny in her role, health minister Karyn Smith told Times Radio: “Look, Rachel is well able to challenge and relishes the challenge that she has got as the first female Chancellor.

“I think both things can be true. I think absolutely, I’m often in a situation where I’m the only woman in the room.

“That happens to Rachel a lot in her world, but all chancellors face a lot of criticism. She’s well up for that challenge, able to face that down.

“I think it is inspirational to lots of young women, particularly she’s the first Chancellor, woman Chancellor in 300 years, something she’s very proud of, and rightly so. With that comes a lot of criticism.

“Every single Chancellor gets criticism… I think there is a difference for a woman Chancellor as well, absolutely, for all women politicians, that’s not new or unusual.

“But you know, those of us who are in senior positions in politics, we’ve got to crack on with it. We’re focused on it: it is one of those things that you have to deal with.

“I hope it changes – and our job is to inspire another generation, which I know Rachel does do, to to get involved and change that situation.”

A health minister said “obesity is the major challenge of our health service for this generation”, amid reports the Government will introduce a so-called “milkshake tax” on sugary packaged drinks.

Asked whether tackling obesity was more important than raising revenue, Karin Smyth told Times Radio that any tax measures would be set out in the Budget but “the wider point is about tackling obesity, which we know is one of the biggest causes of ill health, and therefore demand on the health service.”

“Measures we’ve already announced as part of the manifesto, to reduce junk food advertising, particularly to protect young people from becoming obese, because if you come obese at a young age, it does limit your life chances,” she said.

“So tackling obesity is a central plank of prevention, which is one of our three shifts in the NHS, which we announced in the 10-year plan, as is getting down these waiting lists.”

Ms Smyth added: “Obesity is the major challenge of our health service for this generation, and it is important that we make sure that we create the healthiest young generation of children coming forward.

“That’s why we are trying to we’re getting through, for example, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

“So it’s important to balance public health and work with industry to make sure that happens.”

The Chancellor also told MPs the Budget will focus on three priorities: “Cutting the cost of living, cutting NHS waiting lists and cutting the cost of debt.”

Ms Reeves’s Budget on Wednesday is expected to include a host of tax rises, including the freezing of income tax thresholds and higher taxes on expensive homes.

She is also poised to scrap the two-child benefit cap and uprate benefits in line with inflation.

But Ms Reeves warned of rising debt costs.

The Chancellor said: “Government debt is now at £2.6tn, and every year we are spending one in 10 pounds [of] everything that government spends on servicing debt. There is nothing progressive, nothing Labour, about spending more than £100bn a year on debt interest.

“So, I am determined to bring that debt down and to bring that borrowing down so instead of spending £100bn on debt servicing costs, we can spend that money on our key public services.”

Many Labour MPs are understood to have become increasingly frustrated about the prospect of tax rises on the horizon, amid their party’s opinion poll slump less than two years into a term of government.

At the gathering of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Ms Reeves told MPs that politics is a “team sport”, in an apparent call for unity.

The Chancellor’s decision to remind MPs of this was “because united parties are the ones who win elections”, according to a Treasury spokesman.

Ms Reeves also described the Budget as a “package” not a “pick ‘n’ mix”, urging MPs to back the whole of it rather than single out parts they dislike for criticism.

Labour backbenchers are likely to be content with 95% of it, she suggested, as she hinted at difficult political decisions yet to be announced.