The Guardian

Backing for business remains in place for now, but Wishysunak paved the way for tax rises

ahead.

I'm Heather Stewart, political editor of The Guardian, and this is Politics Weekly.

Today, we set out a plan to protect the jobs and livelihoods of the British people.

But the promises that underpin that plan remain unchanged from those we pledged ourselves

to 12 long months ago.

Today, Wishysunak presented his much awaited budget in the House of Commons.

When he set the date, he must have hoped lockdown would be behind us, and he could focus

on the tourist plans for levelling up the UK and building back better.

But with weeks more ahead of staying at home, he was forced to extend many of the schemes

that have kept businesses afloat for the past 12 months, including the costly furlough

scheme.

But at the same time, Wishysunak was keen to show he hasn't abandoned the conserved

his reputation for being tough on the public finances, so he also paved the way for tax

increases when the worst of the crisis is over.

Can you pull off this tough balancing act, or does the threat of tax increases risk choking

off the recovery as Labour has warned?

And will he also be able to keep the government's promise to level up the country?

All a while, the debate in number 10 is not just focused on the budget, but keeping the

union intact, amid fears that Scottish independence could derail Boris Johnson's premiership.

Chaos has engulfed the Prime Minister's union unit, and its staff are unable to sit still,

...