The Chancellor, Philip Hammond delivered his budget last Monday. As with any budget, there’s a heck of a lot of detail to wade through so here’s a handy summary of the main points if you’re really interested: Budget 2018 summary: Highlights of all the key announcements at a glance. We don’t blame you if you’re not interested because to be honest, it was a pretty pointless exercise.

Hammond delivered his budget based on the premise that there will be some kind of Brexit deal that would guarantee enough economic stability for the scattering of ‘promises’ he made to be fulfilled. However, there was a proviso that should there be a no deal, the budget would be ripped up and he would have to start all over again. Regular readers of this blog will be well aware that we think there’s a very high chance of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.

Here’s why we think there will be no deal… Any deal which would treat Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the UK in order to provide time to come up with a solution to trade and travel across the ‘border’ with the Republic of Ireland will be shot down in flames by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Unionist inclined Tories.

For the record, as far as we’re concerned the ‘border’ in Ireland is an artificial one imposed by the British and the real border lies in the sea between the island of Ireland and Scotland, Wales and England. So, when we suffer the dire consequences of a chaotic, no deal Brexit, you can point the finger of blame at Oliver Cromwell and subsequent English/British rulers and their proxies, the DUP being the latest incarnation, who have been complicit in the subjugation of Ireland.

Basically, last Tuesday’s exercise was pointless and nothing more than an attempt to present a ‘business as normal’ front. The government know that there’s little or no chance of the budget ever being implemented. They’re preparing for a no deal Brexit. The real preparations involve paving the way for the right wing wet dream of a low tax, low regulation economy which will benefit the rich but will screw the rest of us. You have been warned…