The appointment of Robert Chote to the OBR is widely regarded as a clever move. One way to silence a powerful critic. But should it have been quite so unexpected? Especially with Osborne’s whizz kid Chief of Staff Rupert Harrison around. Old Etonian Harrison has given Chote  a very big job.

Could it have anything to do with the very big job Chote gave him at the IFS when he was fresh out of Oxford in 2002…