UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the 2021 budget, revealing a range of measures aimed at supporting businesses and individuals impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget includes a number of measures such as the extension of furlough and self-employment support, increased support for businesses, and an extension of the stamp duty holiday until June.
Whilst some critics have described the budget as a let-down for those outside the hospitality and retail sectors, others have praised it for being a realistic response to ongoing economic conditions.
The Mirror, for example, have been critical of the budget, calling it 'same old, same old'; whilst The Guardian suggests that it is 'a halfway house between support and austerity'.
There has been a mixed response to the budget's impact on public services, with Labour and other parties calling for more support for health and social care services.
Additionally, there have been differing views on the budget's impact on tax and environmental policy, with some calling for increased taxes on the wealthy and greater action on climate change.
Overall, the budget has been met with a range of responses, with some praising the measures whilst others note that the budget fails to address underlying issues such as economic inequality and public sector under-funding.