Santa Osborne hands out gifts – from down the back of Treasury's sofa
by Jonathan Freedland from on (#VR7E)
The chancellor flashed the hypothetical cash, with a shower of stocking-fillers he calculates he'll never have to pay for
In July, George Osborne came to the House of Commons to play Scrooge. On Wednesday, in chilly November, the chancellor used his return appearance to play Santa.
The pre-show buildup had suggested the opposite. Austerity Osborne would unveil a spending review to make the eyes water, cutting and slashing at the state until it was left in bloody ribbons. In the event, he came bearing gifts, all but ho-ho-hoing as he told recipients of tax credits their payments would be safe (for now) or delivered similarly glad tidings to the nation's police forces, assuring them their jobs would be safe after all.
