At our Conference this year, Andy Burnham made clear that hope comes from honesty. Chancellor John Healey’s Budget puts that belief into practice by facing the pressures people feel now and making the long-term choices Britain needs.

Here are three reasons to be hopeful about it:

1. Help with energy bills

When energy prices rise, families feel it everywhere. So we are putting money back into people’s pockets now and continuing the important work needed to bring bills down for good.

• £100 Household Energy Payment for over 20 million households.
• VAT kept at 0% on electricity until June 2027, taking around £50 off the April 2027 price cap.
• Gas standing charges abolished as soon as possible, saving around 60% of households an average of £45 a year.
• These are fully funded measures, including through a temporary increase in bank taxes to help pay for this vital support.

2. A first home within reach

For too many people, owning a home has become a distant dream. Hope starts in the home, and this Budget helps more people who don’t have access to the ‘bank of mum and dad’ to get onto the property ladder.

• A new £4.7 billion Your First Home scheme, expected to help around 70,000 first-time buyers and support the construction of around 20,000 new homes.
• A new First Time Buyer ISA, with a 25% government bonus to help people build their deposit.
• A further £1.5 billion for social and affordable housing, intended to deliver 10,000 more homes.

3. A better future for high streets

A high street tells you how a community is doing. This Budget backs the shops, pubs, venues and local businesses that bring our towns together, while putting more power in local hands.

• Business rates frozen, reduced or cut to zero for every retail, hospitality and leisure property in England from April 2027.
• Around 70,000 more high street businesses paying no business rates, meaning more than half of businesses in these sectors will pay nothing.
• More power out of Westminster, with greater financial powers for local leaders and £285 million for Good Growth Funds.

These are only three parts of a much bigger Budget. Taken as a whole, it is the next step in Labour’s work to make Britain hope again. You can watch the full budget speech here.