Sunak delivers budget bonanza: Politics Weekly podcast

The newly-appointed chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his much anticipated budget to parliament today. Sunak had a tougher job than most given he had to factor in the global spread of a public health emergency, which has caused stock markets to crash and put an already stretched NHS on high alert.

He had come under pressure in the last few weeks from the economists, who warned of the risk in sacrificing businesses in order to prop up health services. As far as they were concerned, the British economy was at risk of collapsing if Sunak got this wrong.

So how did he do? Will his budget reassure an anxious public and a distressed business sector?

Rowena Mason rounds up the biggest talking points with the Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart. Earlier today, she was joined by the Guardian’s economics editor, Larry Elliott, Rachel Wolf, a founding partner of the lobby firm Public First, who co-wrote the Tory manifesto, and a former Labour pollster, who’s currently at Edelman, James Morris, to discuss the wider implications of the coronavirus outbreak on the UK economy.

Plus, they talk about anti-Huawei Tory rebellion, and how the Labour party should deal with allegations of Islamophobia against Trevor Phillips.

Let us know what you think of the podcast: send your feedback to podcasts@theguardian.com