Booming builders like Barratt should pay dividends and put away their begging bowls

For decades now, it’s been the standard cry of business to demand lower taxes and more state support.

Whatever the economic weather, the CBI, the IoD and the rest could be relied upon to whinge about how appallingly hard done by their members were by the Chancellor.

Now, after Rishi Sunak has spent so many billions propping up the private sector, they are finally piping down. Despite Treasury sources floating the idea of hiking corporation tax and National Insurance.

The message has got through that this Chancellor has made Herculean efforts for business already.

But try telling that to some of the housebuilders.

Having made out like bandits since the financial crisis as the Treasury boosted sales to first-time buyers with Help to Buy, today we get Barratt demanding yet more assistance after the programme ends in March.

This despite the fact that business is booming anyway, with forward sales stronger now than they were last year.

Help to Buy has already cost the taxpayer £16 billion, helping builders shift 273,000 properties and rake in £73.3 billion in sales. On the way, it has almost certainly artificially raised the prices of those homes by heating demand.

Now, with the UK debt hitting

£2 trillion, it is right not to extend it any further.

Barratt, however, says Sunak must consider “further options” — code, surely, for more aid.

But continually propping up demand through artificial finance is not the answer. Supply and demand should be left alone, at least for a while.

Besides, if Barratt took less from the Treasury, its directors could pay shareholders the dividends they deserved (but didn’t get) without fearing headlines about corporate greed.

Former bad boy Persimmon paid one — albeit small — and didn’t moan about state aid. Barratt should have followed suit.