Was the Budget too little, too late or the path to escape velocity? This is Money podcast

Jeremy Hunt was jumping around delivering his budget, proudly declaring his commitment to tax cuts and supporting working families.

A further 2p was cut from National Insurance and the threshold at which child benefit is removed was raised from £50,000 to £60,000.

But you don’t need to be a financial expert to know that the Chancellor’s version of events is not the whole story.

Because Mr Hunt is also presiding over a long-term stealth tax freeze to thresholds that is costing workers dearly, and his child benefit measure simply raised sky-high marginal tax rates into the future, rather than getting rid of them entirely.

However, a tax cut and an extra £5,000 Isa grant – even if it is a bit dodgy and limited – is not something to be sneered at.

So was this an escape velocity budget that puts Britain back on the path to growth?

Or was it too little, too late, from a Conservative party that has had successive chancellors more willing to raise our taxes by hook or by crook rather than cut them, or even simply keep thresholds in line with inflation?

In this week’s special Budget This is Money podcast, Georgie Frost, Lee Boyce and Simon Lambert break down the winners and losers and look for the demons in detail.

How much is the NI cut worth to you? Will any child benefits be refunded? Did pensioners also deserve a tax reduction? Failing to reverse his attack on capital gains and dividends, what does the Chancellor have against small investors?

And will the British Isa be good?

All that and more, plus a look at why Nationwide is buying Virgin Money and whether that’s good or bad for us all.