Hunt’s telling us to “prepare for the worst” when it comes to any hope for tax cuts in the Autumn Statement because there isn’t enough “room to move“, though the memo doesn’t seem to have got all around government. Guido can reveal the UK Scottish Office has included £42 million of taxpayer funding for a “Potato Innovation Hub” in their budget submission. That amount of cash is no small fry…

The hub would be built in the Scottish central lowlands. Scottish Office Secretary Alister Jack is rooting for the project and pushing cabinet colleagues for support. Potato innovation is being pushed for by land use researchers at the James Hutton Institute who say “rapid” potato development is needed to tackle “climate and biodiversity crises“. Quids out and spuds in…