J ohn Healey’s first budget was a Rorschach test. Supporters saw dozens of measures offering “ breathing space” to a public worn down by rising prices. Critics admitted to a slew of announcements but countered that each was modest in value . Underlying both views is that the budget was more ambitious on how a state can do more to protect the public than on how much it spends. The chancellor has taken a small step in the right direction – a tricky feat in a turbulent world. But an economy marked by entrenched inequality and more than a decade of stagnation will need a bigger stride.

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s “ pretty grim picture ” of living standards exposes the budget’s central weakness: its relief is temporary, while the squeeze on households persists. As the government deficit shrinks and company profits recover, households are expected to move from saving roughly £50bn in 2026 to borrowing roughly the same amount in 2031.…