During prime minister’s questions on the morning of the Budget, Rachel Reeves could be seen behind Keir Starmer (pictured) reading the leaked measures on a phone passed to her by Treasury minister James Murray.

Early release of the Budget by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) was a terrible error on the part of the government’s independent fiscal forecaster, which published the documents early by mistake.

Originally the OBR said only 43 people viewed the leaked Budget, but it was widely shared on social media and live TV from 11.35 on Budget day, with the chancellor only due to reveal the contents to MPs in the Commons at 12.30.