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In an age of political surprises – most recently the return of former Prime Minister David Cameron to the cabinet – Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement felt surprisingly straightforward. There was no rabbit-in-the-hat moment, no grand reveal. In fact, it was all rather Conservative, with both a small ‘c’ and a big ‘C’. This did not mean Hunt was boring – he effectively ribbed his opposite number, Rachel Reeves, and poked fun at Sir Keir Starmer – but rather just conventional. As anticipated, there were tax cuts for both individuals and business. Among the headline announcements, national insurance (NI) contributions for both employees and the self-employed were cut, saving a typical employee about £450 a year...