Budget 2020: Is austerity over?

What is the driving philosophy of Johnson's conservatism? Rishi Sunk's first budget certainly marks a departure after a decade of austerity and fiscal conservatism. This article looks at the detail.

While measures to combat the economic impact of Coronavirus make the headlines, it is the big cash investment that may come to be seen as the most significant aspect of this budget, with more money being promised on infrastructure than was in the Labour manifesto, alongside several tax cuts. Eradicating the deficit no longer seems to be a government priority. This does not appear to be a New Right government, nor a one nation one. Are we seeing a new conservatism being born, or is this just a pragmatic response to circumstances?

But is the money going to the right places? Does the detail match the rhetoric? No doubt the likely impact of the budget will be debated for days and perhaps weeks to come.