It was already the most leaked, most pre-discussed budget ever,

but 40 minutes before the Chancellor was due to formally set out the latest instalment of her handling of the UK economy.

The Office of Budget Responsibility pulled the rug from under Rachel Reeves' feet when it posted online its response to what she hadn't yet announced.

Chaotic scenes in radio and TV studios followed with charges of unfolding political shambles buzzing across social media channels.

By the time it happened for real, of course, the budget statement contained little to no surprises, though the reaction to it has been intriguing. I'm Mark Carruthers.

In this edition of Red Lions, we'll get first impressions from a panel of experts, and we'll hear

too from Rachel Reeves' cabinet colleague Hillary Ben, the Secretary of State. So, with me around

the table here in our Belfast studio,

our Professor Jody Carson from Ulster University's Strategic Policy Unit,

Caroline Keenan, head of tax at Summer N.I.

And Andrew Webb, Chief Economist at Grant Thornton, Ireland.

Welcome to all of you, and thanks very much for making time for us

on what is a very busy day for all of you.

Andrew, I used the S word shambles there to describe the OBR cock up and I think you'd written it

in your notebook as it was happening. I absolutely wrote it in my notebook. Actually, it's the first

budget and I can't remember when that I haven't seen it live.

I was out this morning at client events.

So when I was hearing it coming through and listening to it after, I was just like, this is an

absolute farce of a situation.

And it probably sums up just where we have been with all of this is that you leak after,

leak after leak after leak and then

the OBR releasing that accidentally before the chance or even got a chance to stand up so

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