The pain may be partially postponed, but Hunt’s statement will win him few friends

Analysis: with half of all British households set to be worse off next year, many Tory MPs fear voters will turn against them

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Long gone are the days of David Cameron promising to let sunshine win the day". Instead, when Jeremy Hunt delivered his budget, it was full of grim warnings about the country facing into the storm" as the economy continues to slump.

The new chancellor's decisions will mean inflicting pain on millions of households, despite some help for the poorest, with an electorally toxic mix of tax rises and spending cuts that will hit Middle England and have left Conservative MPs anxious about their political futures.