Christine Lagarde says she decided to step down early because she wants to have ‘freedom of speech’ The Institute for Fiscal Studies said Wednesday’s budget was “broadly the budget that many people were expecting”. IFS director Helen Miller told journalists at a press briefing: A relatively small cost of living package and a handful of tax rises. Borrowing higher across the rest of the decade. Nods that there are bigger things to come, including in the 10-year plan. One surprise was the length of the scorecard. There were a whopping 98 measures. Some of this seemed to be in the spirit of the prime minister’s ‘everyday fixes’ – small measures that make things better. Sadly, there was also a lot of small, unhelpful fiddling with the tax system. That she [ Christine Lagarde ] leaves early is no surprise and does not change the outlook for ECB policies and for the way the ECB deals with Fren