UK finance minister vows 'credible plan' to reduce debt

Britain's under-fire finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng has promised to unveil "a credible plan" to lower government debt as he defended his contentious mini-budget that led to market turmoil.

Last month's controversial tax-slashing plans, which will dramatically increase government borrowing, went further than many expected, abolishing the top rate of income tax and lifting a cap on bankers' bonuses.

It led to immediate upset in the financial markets, with the pound dropping to its lowest ever level against the dollar.

Kwarteng insisted his ministry will next month unveil a "medium-term fiscal plan" that will set out a path to reducing borrowing, alongside "new fiscal rules and a commitment to spending discipline". 

In an article for the Daily Telegraph published late Friday, he noted a full forecast from the country's fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), would also accompany the plan on November 23.

The lack of an OBR forecast has been cited as one of the reasons for the market tumult that followed the September 23 release of the mini-budget, which cut taxes for the wealthiest amid a cost-of-living crisis.

The turmoil forced the Bank of England to make an...