Budget 2026: Will the real John Healey please stand up? 

John Healey is set to deliver his first Budget although business chiefs, trade unionists and bond traders are still unsure of what to expect. Maurício Alencar reports on whether he can assert his authority on Wednesday. In the period between Sir Keir Starmer leaving Number 10 and Andy Burnham taking over, ambitious Labour figures vied for the keys to Number 11. One researcher, who specialises in economic planning, said that both Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood’s teams had been in touch to talk about their respective economic visions. But just four days after broadsheet papers reported that Mahmood had been chosen as Rachel Reeves’ successor, a certain John Healey was announced as Chancellor. The decision left trade unionists, business owners and City investors scratching their heads not to mention Healey on the back foot to set out his economic philosophy.  With the Budget on Wednesday, each interest group remains largely left in the cold. While Reeves had years in opposit