Liam Byrne, or Baldamort to his friends, has had a bad week. Rule one of spinning for the Treasury is never to give definitive answers on anything. He made an claim on the Daily Politics last week that neither VAT or any other tax would need to rise in a Labour fourth term, he is now spectacularly rowing back. Having overstepped the mark in his role as the Treasury’s election attack dog, he is now firmly back in his box wittering about the Chancellor reserving the right to make the decisions.

Let’s hope his staff were on hand to bring him a soothing cappuccino…