, Columnist
Jeremy Hunt's UK Budget Is a Minimalist Master Class
The Conservative government is keeping its powder dry for the next election.
Jeremy Hunt, UK chancellor of the exchequer, holding the despatch box outside 11 Downing Street.
Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt set out the bare bones of what the next Conservative Party election campaign is going to focus on in his annual budget statement. Laying out the balance sheet of the state and deciding which line items are more deserving of extra monies is an intensely political process. Dull, but worthy, is the verdict on Wednesday’s performance.
This is was really only a placeholder, given a general election is likely in about 18 months. Next March's budget will be primed with many more electoral giveaways.