What does the Autumn Budget mean for my money and the Tory party? Ask Sean O’Grady anything

The Independent’s associate editor Sean O’Grady is on hand to explain how planned tax cuts and benefits reforms could affect your wallet and confidence in the Tory party

Jeremy Hunt faces competing demands from backbench Tory MPs as he prepares to deliver his autumn statement (PA) (PA Wire)

National insurance cuts and reforms to benefits were the big announcements in Wednesday’s autumn statement.

The move from chancellor Jeremy Hunt is raising eyebrows after he warned back in September it would be “virtually impossible” to make imminent tax cuts.

However, since then inflation has fallen back towards Rishi Sunak’s target of around 5 per cent, with the size of the economy and the rate of growth also better than expected.

So, what will national insurance cuts mean for your finances? How will the proposals in the autumn statement affect your bank balance, wage slip and disposal income - if at all? And when will changes come into force?

The political ramficiations of the autumn budget are also worth exploring. What does Wednesday’s announcement reveal about Mr Sunak’s plans for the Tory party - and do national insurance cuts make things harder for Labour? Are the announcements in the autumn statement the last gasp of a dying government or a clever play to win back voters after a long stretch of political turmoil?

If you have a question on the autumn budget, submit it now, or when I join you live at 5pm on Wednesday 21 November for the “Ask Me Anything” event.

Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here.

Don’t worry if you can’t see your question – they may be hidden until I join the conversation to answer them. Then join us live on this page at 5pm as I tackle as many questions as I can.