This was two Budgets in one: a core Budget with big borrowing and spending plans for the years ahead and an emergency coronavirus budget.

Although it’s primarily a health emergency, the next few weeks and months could be a life or death moment for many small businesses which are dealing with the virus and, more importantly, the response to it.

Business rates relief for small firms, an offer to give companies more time to pay tax and the promise of a cash grant of £3,000 to virus-affected small firms will be welcomed. But many will feel the criteria is too prescriptive and a more general hardship fund would have been more appropriate for a situation whose impacts are hard to predict.

But perhaps more important was the messaging that the government wants to unlock the potential of business.

That is a warmer tone to the private sector than the one business has been used to.

The government has acknowledged that business faces financial distress on top of the Brexit preparation that could substantially add to the cost and administrative burden that business will face at the end of this year.