As I said, Nigel, I think that the only option is, as you say, a tax raising budget, even if it us unpopular.

Oh, and you missed the elephant in the room with your additional costs - Brexit. The 2.5% reduction in economy that it has cost so far would have gone a long way towards filling the Black hole. But every Tory government since Cameron has gone for the populist option rather than the sensible one. Let us hope that Reeves' budget, unpopular as it will be, will put the economy above self interest for a change.