The ‘breathing space budget’ – breathing space for the government, that is | John Crace

John Healey aced the morning-after media round because his Martin Lewis measures left nothing to challenge him on Maybe it had been one of the greatest acts of political genius after all. The day after the budget is usually the moment when things start to fall apart.

When clued up journalists and economists have had a chance to go through all the fine points the chancellor would rather everyone had missed. The forecasts that suggest everything is predicated on a wing and a prayer.

The hidden unfunded tax cuts. The greater than expected spending commitments.

But on Thursday morning Andy Burnham and John Healey could afford themselves a sigh of relief. All had gone about as well as they could have hoped.

It turns out that when you don’t make any massive tax or spending commitments, there isn’t a great deal to unravel. All there had been was a raft…