Despite Hammond's threat, the Tories cannot be trusted to end austerity | Richard Partington

Chancellor hints that a no-deal Brexit will mean an unwanted extension to austerity

Do you remember the days when the big debate in British politics was not interminable talk of backstops, parliamentary process and obscure trade deals? The days when it was about something far more simple: tax and spending.

When Philip Hammond stands up at the dispatch box on Wednesday to deliver the spring statement, the agenda will remain all about Brexit. The traditional levers of government policy used to influence our everyday lives - income tax, NHS spending, school budgets and so on - will take a backseat.