Just as the Q3 GDP figures were announced this morning a perfectly-timed FOI response landed in Guido’s inbox. Between January and October this year the Treasury spent almost £1 million of taxpayers’ money renovating their Horse Guards Road offices. The cash was spent on a project to “optimise usable space”, with hundreds of thousands spent on building brand new workstations, receptions and infrastructure and buying new furniture. That’s one way of softening the construction downturn…

UPDATE: Treasury sources get in touch to stress that the project will double the occupancy of the building, freeing up space elsewhere and so saving money. Twice as many Treasury officials under one roof, what a thought…