What did the public make of the Budget?

After weeks of hearing what people think about the policies that Osborne might’ve adopted, we now have the first evidence of what they make of the Budget itself. Today’s YouGov poll lists eight of its main policies, and it seems they fit into three broad groups. First, the very popular ones: raising the personal allowance and increasing stamp duty for £2 million houses. Second, those backed by the majority but not so overwhelmingly: the corporation tax cut, the child benefit changes, Sunday trading during the Olympics and the tobacco duty rise. And finally, the unpopular measures: cutting the 50p tax rate and phasing out the extra personal allowance for over-65s.

None of these are particularly surprising, although it is eye-catching just how strong support for the personal allowance rise is — 90 per cent back it. Also, opinion on cutting the 50p tax rate is not as bad for Osborne as in previous polls — and significantly, Tory supporters now back it by two-to-one (they were