Voters expect ‘no difference’ to UK economy after Healey’s modest Budget

John Healey’s Budget will make “no difference” to the UK economy, voters have said, as concerns over stealth taxes and defence spending overshadowed a series of giveaways in the Chancellor s maiden fiscal statement. Polling by City AM/Freshwater Strategy showed that about half of voters expected the Budget to make “no difference” to Britain’s economic fortunes.  More respondents said it would improve the UK economy than those who said it would make things worse at 24 versus 22 per cent of the share. Healey’s Budget raised taxes by more than £7bn in three years by temporarily raising levies on banking profits and increasing rates on income from property and savings. The Chancellor also announced a new tax relief for founders and a £2.6bn energy support made in direct payments to the bank accounts of some 20m households across the country.  His measures, which led to little reaction in both Westminster and the markets, were overshadowed by economists’ bleak forecasts sho