Taoiseach flirts with reality as he utters the B-word

BRIAN COWEN took a tentative step into reality yesterday and accepted the looming tax and slash spectacular is indeed a budget.

The change of tack was significant as the Government had seemed to believe it could avoid the B-word completely and hoodwink the public with a distracting label such as “the magic pixie dust adjustment” to cover its fifth emergency cuts package in nine months.

Well done Taoiseach, we’ve got the name, all we need now is a date. You promised it would be by the end of March. Labour’s Eamon Gilmore has accused you of shifting your story every time you speak on the economy, so could we know which day in March Brian Lenihan will be putting his hands in our pockets again?