Budget that says Phil your boots

“This is a budget for the future,” smirked Chancellor Philip Hammond.

Yes, but whose? His own, of course.

Hardline Tory Brexit MPs want him out, but he did just about enough to keep his place round the Cabinet table. For now.

“A very good job,” gushed Mrs May. At saving his own skin, for sure.

The euphoria won’t last when voters grasp his do-nothing budget was more important for what it didn’t say than what it did say.

He said nothing about the plight of pensioners. Not a word, a scandalous omission.

Nothing about ending wage austerity for millions of dedicated public service workers, except a vague promise of jam tomorrow for nurses.

He was silent about the cap on energy prices promised in the Tory election manifesto only six months ago, despite shock new figures of surging premature winter deaths of old folk.

Billions for Brexit without a deal, but no relief for hard-pressed social care providers, or the elderly and vulnerable who rely on their services.

Spreadsh*t Phil may have pulled the wool over the eyes of his Tory pals with an hour of flannel and borrowed funnies. The MPs are easily taken in.

But it’s the people’s verdict which counts. What we need now is a damn good by-election, brought on by the forced resignation of sleazy, leering, knee-pawing Tory MP Sir Michael Fallon so that the voters can have their say.