The Budget – Little left to say

 

The Budget was once a big Parliamentary event. Full of revelations, crowd-pleasers and intrigue. However, in the modern political world – managed by public relations consultants and performed according to market relation ‘grids’ – the Budget is leaked to feed the daily media headlines long before the event itself. This in the hope of creating favourable impressions without having to explain how promises are delivered. The House of Commons side-lined. Receiving news already well-rehearsed in TV studios days before.

This is written before The Budget itself. But there’s virtually nothing left to announce. Chancellor Sunak spent the last week carefully leaking the favourable aspects he didn’t want to get lost on the day. The promise of Golden elephants to all, largesse to this and bags of public money to that.

The reality of what The Budget represents is never fully known until many weeks after the carefully choreographed theatrics of The Budget statement and supporting papers are published. We expect at least one further ‘rabbit from the chancellor’s hat’ – probably a part reversal of the Universal Credit cut – but there’ll be fewer surprises on the day.