"The Longest Speech..." by Les Gibbard © BBC

Length of Speeches

Budget statements vary in length - the shortest was Disraeli's (45 minutes) in 1867, the longest was Gladstone's in 1853 (4 hours 45 minutes). The longest since 1979 was Norman Lamont's last statement in 1993.

Recent Budget Statements:

Geoffrey Howe

1979 1hr 10 mins
1980 2hrs
1981 1hr 30 mins
1982 1hr 45 mins
1983 1hr 24 mins

Nigel Lawson

1984 1hr 20 mins
1985 1hr 15 mins
1986 1hr 16 mins
1987 1hr 1 min
1988 1hr 44 mins
1989 1hr 10 mins

John Major

1990 1hr 22 mins

Norman Lamont

1991 1hr 9 mins
1992 1hr 11 mins
1993 Mar 1hr 52 mins

Kenneth Clarke

1993 Nov 1hr 15 mins
1994 Nov 1hr 24 mins
1995 Nov 1hr 10 mins
1996 Nov 1hr 17 mins