This was a Budget of immediate first aid measures.

The chancellor unveiled a huge package of measures

to support all parts of the workforce,

including millions working in the gig

economy, small businesses, and the self-employed.

The chancellor rolled out a huge boost to statutory sick pay

and for those who were unable to claim it,

much quicker access to benefits.

Plus, help for small businesses in covering

the costs and a range of other measures,

including extra time to pay tax bills and emergency

loans to help businesses see off the corona crisis.

Now, it wouldn't be a Budget without a tax giveaway.

And the chancellor delivered today in the form of a tax cut

for 31m workers as the national insurance threshold is raised

to £9,500 from April.

This, the chancellor said, would save the average worker £100

a year.

Savings for children also received a big boost.

From April, the amount that parents can save into a junior

ISA has more than doubled to £9,000.

And we can all drink to that because duty

on all alcoholic beverages, including wine, beer, cider

and spirits, has been frozen for a year.

And what about property?

Well today, the only big change was an additional 2

per cent rate of stamp duty for people from overseas

who were buying a house in the UK.

That's a move that could hit UK expats returning home.

But the chancellor said the funds will be used

to help combat homelessness.

And finally, what about what the chancellor didn't say?

Rishi Sunak appears to have washed

his hands of some of the tax-raising measures

that wealthy FT readers most feared,

namely getting rid of higher rate pensions tax relief.

In fact today, he made the pensions tax position

much easier for thousands of higher earners in a bid

to help NHS doctors who've been hit by higher tax bills.

So it looks like the government has decided now

is not the time to frighten the party's core voters with talk

of tax rises, but that doesn't mean they're officially

off the table.