Catalogue description W E Gladstone's Budget Box. Commonly known as 'Gladstone's Budget Box', this ministerial...

This record is held by Imperial War Museum (IWM) Department of Documents

Details of T 172/1A
Reference: T 172/1A
Description:

W E Gladstone's Budget Box. Commonly known as 'Gladstone's Budget Box', this ministerial box has appeared on numerous Budget days when held for the cameras by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It was officially retired in 2010 due to its fragility.

The box is believed to have been made for William Gladstone around 1860 and has been used by Chancellors ever since.

The box is made of wood, covered with red leather and lined with silk. It is officially a public record.

To continue the valuable tradition of the Budget box, a modern replacement has been made using traditional techniques, and was first used by the Chancellor in the March 2011 Budget. Her Majesty’s Treasury have agreed to return the replacement to The National Archives as a public record after 150 years.

Date: [19th century]
Held by: Imperial War Museum (IWM) Department of Documents, not available at The National Archives
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Custodial history: The red dispatch box which came to be used by successive Chancellors for carrying their Budget Speech to the House of Commons was made in the reign of Queen Victoria. There is little doubt that Gladstone was the first Chancellor to use it, and it was used regularly by his successors until 1996 with exception of 1965. Permanently transferred to the Cabinet War Rooms, Imperial War Museum. As of 23 February 2011 the box will be on temporary display in the Division Lobby of the House of Commons.

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