Chancellor John Healey celebrated delivering his inaugural Budget by necking a pint of beer in front of a cheering crowd. Chants of "down it" were heard in The Two Chairmen pub late last night as Britain's money man threw back the ale, suitably named Chancellor's Choice, in just 12 seconds.
He proved there was nothing left by turning the glass upside down and triumphantly holding it above his head. The boisterous display was reminiscent of former Labour number two John Prescott, who also downed a pint.
Social Media Clip
Footage of Healey in action behind the bar emerged on social media this morning. Labour MP Dan Tomlinson posted a clip and captioned the post: "The boss seeing off a pint of Chancellor's Choice after a long day at the office."
It isn't the first time the chancellor of the day was seen enjoying a cheeky drink on budget day, as it is something of a tradition.
Budget Day Tradition
Historians, academics and experts have been stumped at where the parliamentary rule comes from which allows the chancellor to enjoy their choice of alcohol while delivering their budget to the house. Very little has been written about the tradition despite numerous chancellors having indulged in the tradition over the years.
During a previous budget day back in 1995, Mr Clarke was cheered by his Conservative colleagues as he took a sip of scotch before announcing cuts to duty on whisky and a freeze on wine and beer duty.
In recent years other chancellors such as Labour's Gordon Brown and Theresa May's former Downing Street partner, Phil Hammond, avoided boozing at the dispatch box and decided to stick to water instead.
Budget Announcements
During his maiden budget Healey announced gas standing charges are to be scrapped, with similar reforms to follow for electricity bills. He said it would help almost two-thirds of households save an average of £45 a year.
But critics said the measure is a drop in the ocean compared to the increased cost of energy Brits are forecast to endure. Ofgem's price cap rose by 3.6% to £1,723 for a typical household on October 1, with a further rise of around 22% forecast in January.
