Rishi Sunak Could Delay Fiscal Statement Announcement: Foreign Minister

At the top of Mr Sunak's agenda will be preparation for a fiscal statement, keenly anticipated by financial markets.

Britain's new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could delay the announcement of a plan to repair the country's public finances, foreign minister James Cleverly said on Wednesday, suggesting a little more time might be needed to spell out the details.

Mr Sunak, who replaced Liz Truss after her brief stint as prime minister was engulfed in chaos, gathered his cabinet for the first time on Wednesday, a day after taking power with a promise to fix his predecessor's mistakes and stabilise the economy.

At the top of Mr Sunak's agenda will be preparation for a fiscal statement, keenly anticipated by financial markets, but which The Times newspaper reported could be pushed back by a few days.

Asked about the timing of the statement, currently scheduled for Oct. 31 and expected to set out how the government will plug a budget shortfall of as much as 40 billion pounds ($45.88 billion), Mr Cleverly did not confirm the date.