Like many of us, Jeremy Hunt has dreams that his budget won’t stretch to

Lottery winners can fulfil their property dreams. Chancellors have to be more realistic. Photograph: David Levene/the Observer

For many of us, the dream is a detached home with a garage and an acre of land, according to the most searched property terms of the last year. The dream is out of reach for most people, and so is another popular item – an annexe – which entered the top four in Rightmove’s list for the first time in 2023.

This could be one reason why the gambling industry generates annual sales of £15.1bn, and £4.2bn in tax for the exchequer.