The latest Budget was an important speech for the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and his Government, as he laid out key measures likely to affect his party’s success at the ballot box later this year.
Although a date for the next general election is still yet to be set, this is likely to be the last time that Mr. Hunt will have a chance to introduce significant changes to taxation and funding and so he didn’t hold back.
Before his announcement, it was unclear exactly what direction the Government would take, following caution from several think tanks about the dangers of significant tax cuts.
While the speech began by outlining the ongoing challenges of the cost-of-living crisis and its main driver, inflation, it soon turned to measures that would boost the economy and personal finances – both in the short and longer term.
The raucous noise from both benches only sought to highlight the importance of the measures announced by the Chancellor.
Mr. Hunt went on to declare that this would be a “Budget for long-term growth” and began outlining measures in the following areas: