Chancellor Philip Hammond cracks jokes at the expense of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn and himself during Budget 2017
Breaking: Philip Hammond aka 'Spreadsheet Phil' has a personality.
The chancellor, who has been dubbed as boring accounting type, set the scene for the Budget today making a spring budget joke.
1. On Norman Lamont also abolishing the spring Budget
"Ten weeks later, he was sacked! So wish me luck!"
And that wasn't the only joke the chancellor cracked. Sample the digs he took at the Labour party, its leader Jeremy Corbyn and… himself:
2. On Labour's business policies:
"The one place I am not going to hear the voice of business is the benches opposite"
3. On past Labour government's corporation tax
"They don't call it the last Labour government for nothing"
4. Getting back at Corbyn for likening the government to "a driverless car heading in the wrong direction" last year
"The Party opposite knows something about the technology of driverless vehicles"
5. Another dig at Corbyn…
"He is so far down the black hole that even Stephen Hawking has disowned him"
Acknowledging his reputation for spreadsheets:
"This is the spreadsheet bit but bear with me – I have a reputation" #Budget2017 https://t.co/AOELsEFsnl pic.twitter.com/hn2CIHcXBp
— City A.M. (@CityAM) March 8, 2017