Chancellor finds extra wriggle room in time for next budget | Larry Elliott
by Larry Elliott from on (#3X7N9)
A 2bn public finances surplus has fallen to Philip Hammond so he could yet boost the NHS
Philip Hammond just got lucky. What was shaping up to be an extremely tricky budget for the chancellor all of a sudden looks quite a lot easier. July is normally a good month for the public finances because it is a time when tax receipts come rolling in to the exchequer, but the size of the surplus - 2bn - has been a pleasant surprise.
Not since Gordon Brown was in his frugal phase at the Treasury during Tony Blair's first Labour administration 18 years ago has there been a July as good.
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