Budget sketch: As it turns out, there is a magic money tree after all

Abracadabra! Alakazam! What a difference three years can make with just a little bit of hocus pocus.

It was only in 2017 that Theresa May stood in front of hard-working nurses telling them “there is no magic money tree”.

But in a Boris Johnson Government where 40 new hospitals can magically be turned into six and 31,000 new nurses multiply to 50,000 with a pinch of fairy dust, it’s no surprise that Rishi Sunak as Chancellor - bagging the job being a bit of a magic trick in itself - was able to pull one of the aforementioned mythical shrubs out of his top hat.

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It may not be the first of the month but the Chancellor is no doubt muttering “white rabbits” over and over for luck.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers his Budget in the House of Commons. Photo: PAChancellor Rishi Sunak delivers his Budget in the House of Commons. Photo: PA
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers his Budget in the House of Commons. Photo: PA

In many ways the Budget will be welcome, cash for this, that and the other.

In fact, if Labour had been presenting the same plan there would no doubt be cries they were irresponsible with the economy, as borrowing in the new plan doubled.

Indeed the Budget itself had a distinct Gordon Brown feel about it, and along with nicking Labour’s idea of moving the Treasury up North, it may not have been the list of promises we were expecting.

But news for Yorkshire especially was good.

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And the Chancellor made it a priority to call the editor of The Yorkshire Post after he finished his speech to flesh out his commitment to the region.

It is claimed that extra borrowing is needed to address the productivity gap between the North and South, make better regional health inequalities, and provide better research and development outside of the capital.

Bring it on, the hope is it pays off.

The truth is it doesn’t matter whether the cash comes with a blue or red rosette, as long as it makes it.