Why the lead-up to the Budget may have been worse than the Budget itself

The picture of Ellen Wilkinson, one of the founding members of the British Communist Party caused a minor kerfuffle when Rachel Reeves stuck it up in her office. But her choice could have been much more disturbing. It was quite clear from her Budget that one of her political heroes is none other than the villain of the Austin Powers trilogy, Dr Evil. It wasn't the dastardly £40bn of tax rises that alerted us to this unholy veneration. Nor was there a Mini-Me prancing around the despatch box, though then leader of the opposition Rishi Sunak was close by. No, the moment the chancellor's...