Law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter responds to Budget

The government has had the same difficulty in defining working people as others have had in trying to distinguish between workers and employees in terms of employment law and rights.

The definitions of workers and employees, often wrongly conflated, are ripe for change, but that is still some way off.

However, working people are definitely seeking a living wage and the government is edging closer to providing a base level minimum wage that is deserving of the use of those words.

There is still progress to be made, but at least the cost of living has been taken into account with this newly announced increase.

Employers will cite the increase in cost base this rise will represent, and the same argument applies to the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

Whether the increases stifle overall wage growth remains to be seen, especially as the boost to the minimum wage can also prompt calls for a raise further up the pay scale.

Inflation may be lower, but it still exists and is fundamental to the thinking behind current fiscal policy and we still have a shortage in the available labour pool.

Ultimately, economic growth is dependent on a number of factors of which salaries are a small, but significant, part.

Of course government budgets seek economic growth and consider how to distribute the consequent wealth.

This is not a tax give away budget, but it will likely have a strong tendency to take away something from someone, somewhere in the end.