Political pressure had grown for the chancellor to try to revive flagging Tory fortunes with well-targeted spending. Though it may take time to shift youth views of Tory policy, his spending targets let him discuss a future based on tech-driven growth and where younger households would be able to be homeowners again. This should get backbench Tories onside and avoid the embarrassments of the last budget. To our minds, targeted infrastructure spending is welcome against a background of weak productivity growth. Some of the measures struck as purely populist, such as the £5.4 billion in waived revenue as duties on…

Source: The Times November 23, 2017 00:03 UTC