The casino budget – a triumph of hope over experience
Well, it’s finally here. After what seemed like an interminable period of consultations, talks, talks about talks, and talks about curried yoghurt, we finally have some numbers. The fact that the Budget is not quite as gruesome as might originally been feared is being spun as some sort of victory. It is still deeply grim reading. First, the good news. Current spending (non-ringfenced DEL) will be £156.6m higher than was originally proposed under the Draft Budget. The £158.9m of extra …