IIt’s one of the budget’s more bizarre traditions: indeed, the chancellor is always one of the less flamboyant ministers in the cabinet, and his long, data-filled speeches are bound to be full of jokes.

Some people do it better than others. Philip Hammond has an undeniable, if deadpan, sense of timing, while Rishi Sunak sometimes gives the impression that he doesn’t quite know what a joke is. Jeremy Hunt is somewhere in between – passionate, but unnatural. Here are some of the jokes he told during Wednesday’s budget, ranging from the obvious to the obscure.

Angela Reiner and Capital Gains Tax

Hunt delighted Tory MPs and himself by reducing the rate of capital gains tax paid by higher-rate taxpayers when selling second homes, saying: “I see the Labor deputy leader is watching closely because she has many A residence.”

This was a reference to reports in mainly government-friendly newspapers suggesting that Rayner may have to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her former parliamentary building before becoming an MP.

It was less a joke than an opportunity for Conservative MPs to laugh at their opponents’ political misfortunes, but it was no less effective.

Laffer Curve

Perhaps only the chancellor should be allowed to use a theory about optimal tax rates as the punchline of a joke, and even then only if it’s told well. Hunter may be limping across the finish line here.

Introducing the capital gains tax plan, Mr Hunt said the Treasury and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) believed lower rates would bring in more revenue because there would be more transactions.

“Treasury and the OBR have probably discovered their inherent Laffer Curve for the first time in history,” Hunt said, smiling politely.

Rachel ReevesConservative

Arguably more forced was Hunt’s brief diversion when he announced a permanent extension of tax relief for the theater and performing arts sector and lampooned his Labor rivals over the tax issue.

This part, Hunt said, “is of particular interest to the shadow chancellor, who seems to appreciate her theatrical skills in acting like a Tory. The problem is, we all know how her show ends: higher taxes.”

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Reeves, sitting on the bench opposite, grimaced. Others expressed sympathy.

minister of education at the eiffel tower

Every veteran of the working-man-club comedy scene knows that when you’re facing a tough crowd, you can do worse than tone it down.

So when it came to schools, Hunt said he thought Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was “doing a really good job”.

In a reference that will be clear to everyone here, Keegan made unguarded comments to TV crews during the school’s concrete collapse crisis in September, lamenting that no one praised her for doing a “really damn good job”. While “others” sit on their asses and do nothing”.