Kwarteng: We're sticking to our growth plan

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has said he is "sticking to the growth plan" announced in his mini-budget.

The plans, announced on Friday, have led to market turmoil, and the Bank of England stepping in to prevent the collapse of some pension funds.

In a rare rebuke, the International Monetary Fund openly criticised the UK government over its plan for tax cuts.

However, Mr Kwarteng told reporters on Thursday his priorities were keeping to the plan and lowering energy bills.

Kwasi Kwarteng told the PA news agency: "We are sticking to the growth plan and we are going to help people with energy bills. That's my two top priorities."

This is the first time Mr Kwarteng has made a public comment on the plans since Sunday, when he hinted that there were more tax cuts to come.

His comments came after Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke to a number of BBC radio stations on Thursday morning, where she insisted the tax cuts outlined in the mini-budget were the "right plan".