Autumn Budget 2021 – some initial impressions

In normal times (remember them?) the introduction of a brand-new tax to fund health and social care would have formed the centre-piece of a Budget statement. But of course  the prime minister pre-empted that – some might say he shot the chancellor’s fox – with the announcement of the new health and social care levy on 7 September. Then the chancellor came close to shooting his own fox by the extensive briefing of the highlights of the speech for which he was roundly condemned by the speaker and again today by his deputy. 

So  what was there left for him to do? Would he confirm the tax rates for next year which have already been announced tinker a bit round the edges of the system and then sit down and gives us an easy afternoon? Or would he want to make his mark with major announcements of his own?  

Much of the speech (more than...