Hello and welcome to the political party, and this is a budget special with the chief secretary to the treasury,

Darren Jones, here to explain in detail a lot of the budget and what it means for you,

what it means for public services and the political direction behind it, what the priorities of the

government are, and also just what it's like to be part of that process as Chief Secretary,

having just a few months ago been an opposition politician, all of a sudden thrust into the most important department

in government and deciding the economic future of the country. This is brilliant. And there's

loads of really good lighthearted stuff in here, including about the perks of working at the

Treasury. I mean, this comes up a couple of times. I am now, I need to go to

the Treasury and see this stuff because you're all going to want to go as well, by the way. It

sounds incredible. Darren is great fun. And also, as you will find very reassuring, a very serious

politician who takes the job very seriously, and that really

comes across, but it also is a great laugh as well. So this is, he's the ideal guest.

This week, my talk continues on the 6th of November. I'm in Southwest England. I'm in

Exeter at the Phoenix Theatre. And that is on Wednesday,

the 6th, and on Friday. I'm in Tumbridge Wells at the Trinity Theatre. And then later in November,

I go to Basingstoke, Colchester, York, Chorley, Chawley, Chipping Norton, Lester, Eastley,

Favisham. And in December, two nights at the Bloomsbury Theatre on the 6th and on

the 14th of December. Some of those dates have sold out already, but go to Mattford.com or just

click on the link in the blurb to get your tickets. The tour obviously continues next year as well.

So, oh, what a Christmas present. I've added some extra dates in Norwich, Chelmsford, Colchester, Birmingham, maidenhead, another night in Nottingham, and a night in Oxford as well.

But matford.com, and of course, if you listen to the show,

I'm always telling you about these dates anyway.

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