# MPs open probe into leak of Healey’s Budget bank tax hike

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/mps-open-probe-into-leak-of-healeys-budget-bank-tax-hike/
- Published: 2026-11-10T15:53:21+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T17:11:10+00:00
- Original publisher: City AM (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.cityam.com/mps-open-probe-into-leak-of-healeys-budget-bank-tax-hike/
- Topics: Business, Markets, UK, World

## Key points

- MPs are investigating a possible Budget leak about the bank surcharge.
- The tax was raised to 6% for 15 months.
- Regulators may examine whether the disclosure improperly affected markets.

## Summary

The Treasury Committee has opened an inquiry into a possible leak of the planned increase to the UK banking surcharge, after details emerged hours before the Budget. The early report was followed by sharp rises in Lloyds, NatWest and Barclays shares, as investors welcomed an increase seen as less severe than expected.

Treasury Permanent Secretary James Bowler said banks and their representatives had not been briefed, while acknowledging that more government officials knew the details ahead of the Budget. Chancellor John Healey raised the surcharge to 6% for 15 months; reports had said the rise would be temporary and below the 8% expected. Committee chair Meg Hillier criticised previous leak inquiries as inconclusive, and the Financial Conduct Authority said it would consider whether unlawful disclosure or poor information handling had affected markets.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.