"While it is too late for September’s disappointing public finances figures to influence the amount of headroom the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will hand the chancellor in the Budget on 30 October, they do highlight the limited scope the Chancellor has to increase day-to-day spending without raising taxes," said Alex Kerr, UK economist at Capital Economics. "That said, if she tweaks her fiscal rules, she will still have room to raise public investment."