Cometh the hour, cometh John McDonnell, the man with a plan | John Crace

Steadfastly unanimated: John McDonnell delivers his pre-budget speech in London.Not so long ago, no one felt obliged to take much notice of a pre-budget speech from John McDonnell.The Labour shadow chancellor was free to suggest almost anything he wanted – nationalisation of the Isle of Man, an SAS assault on Bermuda – and no one would bat an eye because there didn’t seem to be a chance of him ever getting the top job.