Around 1,000 BBC staff downed tools this morning just 90 minutes before the Budget, leaving local stations without regular news bulletins for the next 24 hours. BBC London have just announced they’ll be playing cover programmes at 1:30, 6:30, and 10:30…

They’ll of course be joined by thousands of civil servants – though it’ll be hard to notice any difference on that front – rail workers, teachers, and junior doctors. The BBC staff are striking over cuts to local radio services. Some of the teachers, meanwhile, appear to be striking so they can go to the pub…