Jeremy Hunt will try to talk a long game while scrambling to fund pre-election tax cuts

If there is money available Hunt should spend it on mending broken Britain, such as reducing NHS waiting lists. Photograph: Jeff Moore/PA

When Clement Attlee took soundings from his cabinet on the timing of the 1950 election, the then chancellor, Sir Stafford Cripps, was adamant. The Labour government had to go to the country before the budget so that voters did not think the decisions made had been taken with polling day in mind.

Those were the days. As the 2024 budget approaches on Wednesday, the assumption is that Jeremy Hunt will do his utmost to deliver a crowd-pleasing package of tax cuts.