内容摘要：Christine Eastlake, from Ashington, said her family were taking the train to Newcastle to do some Christmas shopping.

Christine Eastlake, from Ashington, said her family were taking the train to Newcastle to do some Christmas shopping.

King Charles III spent a short period of time in hospital on Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects during cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said.The King returned to Clarence House, where he was said to be continuing to work on state papers and make calls from his study. He has cancelled a tour of Birmingham on Friday, acting on medical advice.

Charles, 76, had planned to travel to the city for a busy schedule of engagements, which included four events.The palace first announced the King's cancer diagnosis in February 2024.A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said meetings with three ambassadors on Thursday were also affected.

"Tomorrow, he was due to undertake four public engagements in Birmingham and is greatly disappointed to be missing them on this occasion," the palace's statement added."He very much hopes that they can be rescheduled in due course and offers his deepest apologies to all those who had worked so hard to make the planned visit possible."

A Palace source described it as a "most minor bump in a road that is very much heading in the right direction".

The Palace did not provide further information over what his side effects were.Looked at now you don’t have to be wildly uncharitable to conclude that was comprehensive baloney.

Labour, psychologically scarred by losing far more elections than they win, tend to try to hug the Conservatives close when it comes to tax and spending plans before elections where they think they can beat them, fearing anything else will spook swing voters and cost them the contest.And, pretty much, that is what Labour did back in the summer.

No such caution now.The books were worse than we thought is Labour’s mitigating plea, garnished with a we-won’t-do-it-again insistence from the chancellor