Much will go up in smoke as ministers opt for fire sale of public land

A government spending money hand over fist will turn to the private sector, wooing it with assets going cheap

A mix of enthusiasm and panic inside the government is set to produce a toxic trail of poor decision-making, probably just in time for the next budget. The enthusiasm flows from the potential for a broad and far-reaching revolution ministers can see in the worst health and economic crisis for several generations.

This could be the best opportunity since the second world war to reshape Britain's way of life, recasting the relationship between citizens and state. From a Tory perspective, ministers can champion self-reliance and sideline collective organisations that put barriers in the way of change.

Property developers are among the Tories' biggest donors. They can't wait to get their hands on land at knockdown prices