Banks, landlords and gambling firms will pay more as the chancellor begins building a fairer economy and a more active state in a cost of living crisis John 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 squ