Chancellor John Healey is expected to stand outside No. 11 Downing Street with the famous red box today as he delivers the Autumn Budget statement, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1860. He is set to unveil a series of 'deep reforms' to the UK's energy system and expand on the 'everyday fixes' announced by the Treasury earlier this week.
The origins of the red box
The first red box was made for William Gladstone in 1860 when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Red boxes have long been used by government ministers to carry official documents, and King Charles also has his own red box filled with daily papers for review.
Made of wood, covered in red leather and lined with black silk, the original Chancellor's box was designed to carry the Budget statement from No. 11 Downing Street to the House of Commons.
A tradition that has evolved
The red box has not always been used. James Callaghan was the first to abandon the tradition, carrying what was dubbed a 'vulgar brown valise' in 1965. In 1997, Gordon Brown commissioned a new red box to replace the worn original, which made its final outing in 2010 when George Osborne received special dispensation from the National Archive for a single use.
The original box is now in the Cabinet War Rooms and has been 'repaired with balsa wood', according to the Treasury.
Memorable moments and a modern alternative
In 1869, George Ward Hunt arrived at the Commons and opened the box to find he had left the speech behind. He lasted just six months in the job. Kwasi Kwarteng, despite his 2022 fiscal statement, never actually gave a Budget, so no red box was used for him. His mini-budget was delivered from Downing Street to the Commons in a blue folder.
For those who want their own piece of history, the 'iconic' box is on sale from Foster and Son, a London-based bootmaker founded in 1840. Made of goatskin with brass fittings, a wooden frame and a hand-stitched leather handle, it costs £4,050.
