Faisal Islam: The two big calls the chancellor has to make ahead of the Budget

Image source, AFP via Getty Images By Faisal Islam Economics editor Published 14 minutes ago "It is tough," John Healey admitted to me earlier this month when I asked him if there had been too much doom-mongering?

"Conflicts, uncertainty, driving up inflation, driving up interest rates. But we've got great strengths. We've got good reasons to be confident about the future of Britain," he insisted.

The new scheme to try and help young people get on the property ladder, announced on Saturday, was aimed at boosting confidence in the economy.

But the chancellor is now facing two big decisions before his inaugural Budget on 28 October.

Firstly, about the longevity of the economic pressures caused by the Iran War, and then about how to sustain a modest but notable uptick in economic spirits, through yet more global turbulence.