Re being free of Eu type corruption , Unlikely since the current government has just spaffed £24 billion to its mates to run a failed test and trace system and millions to others including spouses of Tory mps and their pub landlords previously running eg pet food companies with no relevant experience to supply ppe , which was largely unusable.
And we won’t even start on putting unelected Russian oligarch mates, relatives and cricketers to pass our laws.

When it comes to corrupt governments we’re world beating and could even teach banana republics a thing or two.

But do list the evidence of Eu corruption that puts this in the shade?

Plymouth getting Freeport status

Only part of Plymouth

In the submission, our freezone would include sites at South Yard, Langage Energy Zone and Sherford Business Park.

The Sherford Business Park isn’t built yet.

Sherford not being built is a bonus as plenty of space to build the manufacturing units

I like the infrastructure bank idea, based in Leeds.

I really like the new investment tax break. When I ran my company (now retired) I used to take full advantage of the many investment schemes, mainly EU generated, being offered. However none were as generous as the scheme proposed whereby if I invest £100k on new machinery, I can offset £130k against corporation tax.

I like the government under-written scheme to reduce new house buyer deposits to 5%.

Still listening, but sounds good so far.

Thought the budget was a bit of a mixed bag, but - and it's all about opinions - you seem to have picked two of the absolute worst policies

I can see why allowing a 100% tax write off makes sense, but 130% means that uneconomic, inefficient investments that wouldn't ordinarily generate a return for the business might do so because of the tax benefits. Could encourage businesses to undertake wasteful projects rather than spending the money more effectively. Exactly the wrong way to improve the UK's lamentable productivity record.

The house price subsidy will jack house prices up, benefiting homeowners but particularly the big housing firms and speculators who own multiple properties, while the vast majority of young people remain priced out of the market. It won't do anything to address the critical issues with the UK housing market, which are insufficient supply, insufficient provision of social housing, and an insufficient number of well-paying jobs with decent career prospects for young people who would like to own their own home. The only consistent economic policy in this country is juicing up the property market in pursuit of the votes of homeowners, and it has been absolutely disastrous.

an interesting characteristic of both policies is that they are distortive interventions that are completely at odds with the principles of free market Conservatives (I am not myself a free market Conservative)

I too am not a Conservative Greenpilled. The reason I like the investment package is that it should create jobs. I do see your point about making deliberately ineffective investments in order to get a 30% return on that outlay, but it would require cynicism of a very high order, and I would be very concerned if companies didn’t have to undergo a reasonably vigorous vetting procedure before investment refund approval was given. With previous EU funding I used to have to submit a very tight business plan, and I would expect no less from whichever government was in control.

I agree with you about the housing proposal doing little to improve the housing supply, but I like the idea that it will at least help those of my grandchildren’s generation who struggle to save for a deposit whilst paying high rents.

I must admit that after my OP (which was about 15 minutes in to his statement) I became disappointed with the overall budget, where I feel a real opportunity to make a difference was missed.

In the round I think it's a budget of a populist Government. Tax and spend (or rather spend then tax) as opposed to the austerity approach of yesteryears. Probably right - don't think the public could or would stomach austerity after the last year. Will be interesting to see if the Spending Review in November reinforces that - I suspect it will (I believe the only department that got a budget cut last time was FCDO?)

Tories???

https://www.ft.com/content/e303c1bc-4a0 ... c872de3cd0

Whilst not Plymouth the first manufacturing contract for a freeport area that I have seen.