Editing Chancellor of the Exchequer (section)

===Budget tipple===
By tradition, the chancellor has been allowed to drink whatever they wish while making the annual budget speech to Parliament. This includes alcohol, which is otherwise banned under parliamentary rules.

Previous chancellors have opted for whisky ([[Kenneth Clarke]]), gin and tonic ([[Geoffrey Howe]]), brandy and water ([[Benjamin Disraeli]] and [[John Major]]), spritzer ([[Nigel Lawson]]) and sherry and beaten egg ([[William Gladstone]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Budget and Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/check-and-approve-government-spending-and-taxation/the-budget-and-parliament/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=www.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The chancellors after Clarke, [[Philip Hammond]], [[George Osborne]], [[Alistair Darling]] and [[Gordon Brown]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lydall |first=Ross |date=6 March 2008 |title=Chancellor names his preferred Budget tipple&nbsp;– a glass of plain London tap water |work=The Scotsman |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/politics/Chancellor--names-his-preferred.3848558.jp |access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> opted for water. In fact Darling drank what was named "Standard Water" in reference to, and support of, the London ''Evening Standard'' newspaper's campaign to have plain tap water available in restaurants at no charge to customers.<ref name="test">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Joe |date=5 March 2008 |title=Darling chooses tap water for Budget Day to support Standard campaign |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/darling-chooses-tap-water-for-budget-day-to-support-standard-campaign-6636142.html |access-date=9 February 2012 |website=London Evening Standard}}</ref>