It has long struck me that the games of our youth are adaptable to politics. For example, Hide and seek reminds us of the occasionally evasive behaviour of our elected tribunes.

Then there is Simon Says, the crucial caveat to be borne in mind when assessing promises.

Presumably Brexiteers would now have something of a problem with French Cricket. They would go for British Bulldogs instead.

Current discourse rather resembles a vigorous game of Pass the Parcel. It is yet to be determined who will be left clutching the bedraggled core when the music finally stops.

The new UK Labour Government resolutely blames the recently departed Conservatives for pretty much everything, including the state of UK finances.

In vain do the Tories say that the latest stats, registering 0.6 per cent growth between April and June, suggest a more robust economic handover than the picture painted by Labour.

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, adheres zealously to pragmatic pessimism. For two reasons. She wants to extract yet more gain from Tory-bashing. And she wants to ready us for potential pain in her October budget, in the shape of spending cuts and carefully calibrated increases in the tax burden.

Inevitably, over time, the political burden will shift from the previous to the incumbent administration.

For now, though, Ms Reeves and Sir Keir Starmer have some slack in their favour.

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By contrast, in Scotland, there........

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