Joanna Cherry MP is the sort of pea-brained individual who seems to rise effortlessly to the top of the SNP. She speaks precisely and with an assurance that she must be correct. The only problem is that she talks almost complete nonsense. She starred on the BBC's Question time last week and served up such a total corker on the deficit that the hand picked audience of leftard had almost audible orgasms of delight.
Ms Cherry opined that Chancellor Hammond's U Turn on National Insurance had left a £2 billion black hole in his budget. She continued by asserting that thanks to this U-Turn he no longer had a balanced budget. The audience applauded and loved it. The rest of the panel were either so stupid ( Angela Eagle) or too cowardly ( Jacob Rees Mogg & Tim Martin) or both (Matthew Parris) to point out what utter piffle she spouted.
Chancellor Hammond already has a black hole in his books. For the fiscal year ending in March 2017: The “current budget deficit*” is estimated to be £19.1 billion. The difference between spending (including capital expenditure) and revenue is estimated to be £67.6 billion. And extra £2 billion makes no difference at all.
There is no balance in this budget, as Mr Rees Mogg knows full well. Sometimes Jacob hides behind the pretence that he is a dim toff but - having been an Oxford contemporary of his - I know him to be relatively bright. He knows that UK debt to GDp at 89% is alarmingly high and racing ahead under, yet another, Tory chancellor who is no longer friends with prudence.
But so what if economic destruction is coming rapidly into sight? No one dares tell the electorate that, let alone another hugely partisan audience hand picked by the BBC for Question Time? So lets all applaud Ms Cherry or just sit in pathetic silence and endure the claptrap she spouts.