Andrew Goodwin on the Budget: Three key lessons for advisers

When the wonderful Prunella Scales passed away in late October, aged 93, I was inevitably reminded of my favourite scenes from Fawlty Towers. It was in that series, of course, that she achieved TV immortality as the redoubtable Sybil. I've quoted the following line before, but I'm not ashamed to dig it up again. It comes from Basil, Sybil's husband, in response to what he regards as his other half's insistence on stating the self-evident: "Can't we get you on Mastermind, Sybil? Next contestant: Sybil Fawlty. Subject: the bleedin' obvious." The frenzy of speculation that led up to the ...