With March approaching fast — though somebody should tell the weather — I cannot help but feel a stirring. No, not that, but because this is usually the time of year when we would be looking forward to the spring budget. On March 13 Philip Hammond will be on his feet in the Commons not for a budget but for a much briefer affair: his response to new official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. It will be an occasion lacking the traditional theatre — the famous budget box is likely to remain behind closed doors — but it will be interesting, nonetheless. The monthly figures for the public finances point to a significant borrowing undershoot this fiscal year.

Source: The Times February 27, 2018 17:03 UTC