Chris Mason: Budget felt cautious despite its range of small measures — Live Feedhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/chris-mason-budget-felt-cautious-despite-its-range-of-small-measuresContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. UK Chancellor John Healey Defends Cautious First Budget Amid Pressureshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/chris-mason-budget-felt-cautious-despite-its-range-of-small-measureshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/chris-mason-budget-felt-cautious-despite-its-range-of-small-measures#u173701Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:56:52 +0000UK Chancellor John Healey delivered a cautious first budget featuring a range of small measures designed to steer the nation through a difficult economic moment and an Iran war shock. The financial plan includes energy bills relief and a one-off payment for millions of households, alongside higher taxes on banks and betting shops, and a boost to defense spending. Economists and commentators have expressed mixed reactions, warning that the spending plans strain credibility, duck hard choices over debt, and pave the way for a brutal spending review next year.Why it mattersThe budget arrives as t