Before Christmas the Treasury advertised for a digital videographer, salary up to £39,000 (£42,000 in London) so probably over £50,000 with costs including employer's national insurance contributions (NICs). Readers of The MJ might speculate how the post squares with the chancellor's commitment to ‘root out waste' and how it delivers the Plan for Change. We might wonder whether the Treasury would be better looking for a policy adviser with a grasp of mathematics and common sense.

The increase in employer's NICs hits all employers. In November, the chief secretary confirmed in a written answer that the Government has set aside £4.7bn ‘to support the public sector' with NICs in 2025-26. The same sum is available in 2026-27, rising to £5.1bn in 2029-30.