Jeremy Hunt has claimed an autumn general election is the government’s “working assumption”. The chancellor dropped a hint about when the nation will next take to the polls during an appearance on Sky News on Thursday 7 March, the morning after delivering his Budget. “When it comes to the choices voters make in an election, it’s about trust,” Mr Hunt said. “Do they see a Conservative government taking responsible, difficult decisions for the long term? Whether [the prime minister] chooses to have the election early, or chooses - which is the working assumption - to do it in the autumn, a Budget has to be responsible.”