DAILY MAIL COMMENT: As the Budget approaches, it is increasingly clear that the Chancellor's strings are being pulled by the unions

Anyone unfamiliar with John Healey could easily be taken in by his weasel words about the Budget.

Yet hours after promising a pro-business package next Wednesday, he was cosying up to a group of union barons demanding higher spending and punitive taxes on the 'rich'. For one attendee to brag of a 'really good connection' between the Left-wing firebrands and the Chancellor speaks volumes about what transpired.

It also serves as a disturbing reminder of how the unions have grown even stronger since Labour's return to office. From the end of next week, shop stewards and other officials will have the right to march into offices and factories practically at will as the so-called 'right to roam' power comes into effect.

Other provisions under the new Employment Rights Act - which the Department of Trade and Business describes as 'giving trade unions greater freedom to organise, represent and negotiate' - include cutting the notice period for industrial action from 14 to ten days.

Any remedial measures for the business sector will struggle against those challenges. But Mr Healey's remarks on improving the environment for trading were disingenuous in the first place.

No one disputes that reducing the red tape suffocating businesses would be a sensible move. But the Chancellor conveniently neglected to mention that almost all the soul-sapping bureaucracy in question was dreamt up by his Cabinet colleague Angela Rayner - who was also responsible for the legislation allowing a new generation of union militants to flex their muscles.

Nor was Mr Healey in any way persuasive with his supposed show of support for entrepreneurs who persevere 'through sheer bloody-mindedness'. If he really wants to demonstrate his solidarity, then the very least he could do is reverse the crippling increases in employers' National Insurance contributions introduced under Labour.

But we won't be holding our breath for that to happen. For all his soothing words, Mr Healey clearly has as little concern for the business community as he does for the hard-pressed taxpayers who stump up for the benefits bill.

That his union guests arrived for their private audience in Downing Street armed with a wish list of extravagant demands is par for the course. But that they left apparently happy at the hearing they received from the Chancellor is a deeply worrying pointer to what we can expect next Wednesday.

Stating the obvious 

It would be interesting to know how much civil service overtime - not to mention taxpayers' money - was involved in drafting the Government's guidance for households in a national crisis.

Practically all of the advice on offer seems like basic common sense. Even the least organised among us had probably worked out that easy access to bottled water, cash and a torch is a good idea.

Quite why any of this requires a radio and social media campaign is anyone's guess. Of course, it is just the latest example of a patronising Labour administration determined to stick their collective nose in where it is neither wanted nor needed.

Announcing the measures yesterday, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said they would be vital in the event of wildfires, flooding or cyber attacks hitting Britain. Unsurprisingly, he failed to explain how wet wipes and tinned peas will save us if Vladimir Putin decides to launch a military attack.