Former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps has launched a scathing attack on Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget, branding it 'catastrophic' and 'chaotically delivered', mere hours after receiving his knighthood from the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.
A Day of Contrasts: Knighthood and Criticism
On Wednesday, 26th November 2025, Sir Grant Shapps was honoured with a knighthood, an accolade from Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list. The ceremony, presided over by the Princess Royal, stood in stark contrast to the political firestorm unfolding in Westminster.
Just before the Windsor Castle event, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her second Budget, which included a significant £26 billion tax hike. Sir Grant, a seasoned Conservative MP who served in multiple cabinets under four Prime Ministers, did not hold back in his assessment.
The 'Calamitous' Budget and OBR Leak
Sir Grant heavily criticised a significant blunder by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which published the Budget's full details prematurely. "I was getting ready to come here (to Windsor Castle), but helpfully, the OBR leaked the entire Budget in advance, so I got to hear the Budget without actually hearing the Budget," he remarked wryly.
He directly linked this error to the wider context of the government's financial plan, stating, "I'm afraid that OBR mistake is rather in line with the calamitous nature of all the chaos that surrounded the Budget for the last seven months."
The key measures he took issue with include:
- A freeze on income tax thresholds.
- National insurance charges on salary-sacrificed pension contributions.
- Higher taxes on dividends, property, and savings income.
- A new charge on electric vehicles.
Fulfilled Warnings and a Legacy of Service
The former MP for Welwyn Hatfield pointed out that the Budget confirmed predictions he made before the general election. "I was looking at a clip of what I said before the election, that if they win, they will tax your job, they'll tax your car, they'll tax your pension, they'll tax your home. And they've now taxed all four of those things," Sir Grant stated.
He summarised his view in no uncertain terms: "A catastrophic Budget. A chaotically delivered Budget and catastrophic for the country."
During his knighthood ceremony, Sir Grant revealed he and the Princess Royal discussed public service. He represented his Hertfordshire constituency for 15 years before losing his seat to Labour's Andrew Lewin. "It's been an honour to serve. I do think public service is a real honour to have been involved with," he reflected, adding that he felt "very honoured and humbled" to receive the knighthood.
The honours list also recognised others, including Will Kennard of Chase & Status and Rev Martin Abrams, who aided victims of the July 2024 Southport stabbing.
