Christmas bonus for the mandarins

WHEN the Government announced the move to an Autumn Budget, the Margin is sure he heard the celebrations of the Merrion Street mandarins, who realised that for the first time in years they could eat their Christmas turkey in peace. But every silver lining has a cloud. The Budget will be presented on the Wednesday after the October Bank holiday this year, guaranteeing that while the Minister has given with one hand to the civil servants he has taken away with the other. Which is a bit like he normally does in the Budget itself, actually.