The red (and black) box History of famous briefcase
The Chancellor’s red box, traditionally held up to the press in Downing Street before he proceeds to deliver the Budget in the House of Commons, is in fact only partly red, it emerged yesterday.
As Rishi Sunak posed outside No 11, eagle-eyed photographers caught sight of the reverse of his briefcase, in the process revealing the red exterior only goes so far. The back of the box, it turns out, is black.
It is thought to be the first time the Chancellor has used a not-entirely red box to present his annual spending plan. Produced by Barrow Hepburn & Gale – the British luxury goods manufacturer that has a royal warrant for its Royal Maundy purses – red ministerial boxes are traditionally used by British government ministers and the Queen to carry official documents.
Each box is said to weigh around 3kg, is made of slowgrown pine, and is lined with lead and black satin. Legend has it that lead was used to ensure that the box would sink in the event of its capture at sea. The boxes are also rumoured to be bombproof, have a unique locking design, and require three days’ labour to finish.
Historians are divided as to the origins of the colour red for the boxes. One theory has it that Prince Albert chose it due to its predominance on the arms of the House of Saxe-coburg and Gotha. Another has it that a special red box filled with black puddings was presented to the Spanish ambassador during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Today, a black version, thought to be less conspicuous but no less secure, is available to ministers for travel purposes, as are other colours.
During William Hague’s time as leader of the opposition, a blue box was commissioned for him.
TAX on all types of alcohol will be frozen for only the third time in 20 years as part of an attempt by Rishi Sunak to support pubs, restaurants and clubs that have been forced to shut by Covid restrictions.
It is the second successive year that duties on all alcoholic drinks have been frozen, and will cost the Treasury around £45million in lost revenues, rising to £315 million if extended to 2022.
The Chancellor told MPS: “This is a tough time for hospitality so I can confirm that the planned increases in duties for spirits like Scotch whisky, wine cider and beer will all be cancelled.”
The freeze equates to a saving of 2p on a pint of beer, 1p on cider, 8p on a bottle of wine and 30p on 75cl bottle of Scotch whisky.
The Budget did not, however, address demands by the hospitality industry and pubs for changes to alcohol duty to help them compete with the cut-price offers on alcohol in supermarkets.
This had been flagged up by the Prime Minister as an issue the Budget might address, but it is now expected to be part of an ongoing consultation on alcohol taxes which is expected to report later this year.
Emma Mcclarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said that while the fix in duty increases was welcome, the industry had been campaigning for a cut.
“The freeze is great for now for brewers and pubs, but for the long-term we need some more support,” she added.
Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of pubs and brewery group Greene King, said that the Government needed to take “a deeper look at duty on alcohol and beer” which was at rates 11 times higher than those in Germany and Spain.
In advance of the Budget, 68 Conservative MPS sent a letter to the Treasury calling for a reduction in beer duty in particular as it accounts for 70 per cent of drinks sold in pubs.
It would also help the UK’S 2,000 breweries.
Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said that since the start of the pandemic, deaths caused by alcohol had reached record highs in England and Wales and that “high-risk drinking” had increased by almost 90 per cent between February and September last year.
“It is absurd that despite the mounting strain that alcohol places on our NHS and public services, the Government has taken the decision – yet again – to freeze alcohol duty, prioritising the interests of the alcohol industry above this country’s health,” Mr Gilmore said.