Some Treasury traditions have been lost in the mists of time, which is a pity. January used to be the time when the Treasury floated ideas for the March budget. Chancellors would take senior officials to Dorneywood, the Buckinghamshire country home that goes with the job, or occasionally borrow Chevening, the foreign secretary’s official residence in Kent. There, interspersed with parlour games and snooker matches between officials and ministers, a budget brainstorming would take place. Even with two months to go until the March 11 budget, the chancellor, Sajid Javid, appears to have decided what…

Source: The Times January 12, 2020 00:03 UTC