The Budget follows a year of extraordinary economic challenge as a result of the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic. Like that of many other countries, the UK’s economy has been hit hard,with both the direct effects of the virus and the measures necessary to control it leading to anunprecedented fall in output and higher unemployment.In the face of this threat, the government acted swiftly to provide support to protect businesses,individuals and public services across the UK, adapting its economic response as the pandemicevolved. Thanks to people’s hard work and sacrifice, supported by the success of the initialstages of the vaccine rollout, there is now a path to the reopening of the economy.The Budget sets out how the government will extend its economic support to reflect thecautious easing of social distancing rules and the reopening of the economy in the government’sroadmap.1 Support in the Budget reflects the easing of restrictions to enable the private sectorto bounce back as quickly as possible.

As the economy reopens, the Budget sets out the steps the government is taking to support therecovery, ensuring the economy can build back better, with radical new incentives for businessinvestment and help for businesses to attract the capital, ideas and talent to grow.