The big winner is Darling

By the opinion of most pundits,this week's attempted coup has strengthened the hand of Alistair Darling in the defecit stakes.

Hence his interview with this morning's Times in which the Chancellor says

that severe spending restraints are “non-negotiable” if he is to bring down the £178 billion budget deficit.

According to the paper using language about cuts that would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago.

Mr Darling admits that when he met Mr Brown late on Wednesday afternoon they talked about the Budget. His interview suggests that he was happy with the outcome — yesterday the Cabinet had its first meeting since the “botched putsch” and not one minister mentioned