George Osborne's reading of the 2013 Budget did not go to plan, with MPs roaring in outrage, the Chancellor developing a squawking cough and a leaky press dripping the details out early.
So how many coughs, claws and mentions of "aspiration nation" did it take the Chancellor to read his speech?
Major Press Leaks x 1: Labour attempted to throw Osborne off course, with a copy of the leaked budget on the front page of the Evening Standard on their laps.
Two x Global Race: Global race, the pet phrase of our dear old PM, was mentioned merely twice and strivers and skivers (thankfully) failed to make an appearance.
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THINGS CAN ONLY GET BITTER, read the ES's headline
Three x Sit downs: Osborne was forced to sit down three times throughout his speech as the rowdy jeers of the chamber drowned out his statement.
Four x Coughs: As the deputy speaker called for order, it all got too much for Osborne, whose voice squeaked out of existence, forcing an embarrassing splutter, much to the glee of the opposition.
Eight x Pointy finger waggle: Though the pointy finger waggle also made an appearance (unleashed more than eight times) it was indeed his claw-like appendage that stole the show, winking its evil promise, an aspirational 17 times.
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The waggle
10 x Aspiration: "Aspiration nation" was the buzzword of the speech, which together with aspire and aspiration was mentioned an ambitious ten times. However his cough prompted some speculation on Twitter whether "Asphyxiation Nation" was perhaps not more apt.
Though #aspirationnation quickly trended on the social media site, Ed Miliband weighed in with his own hashtag for beleaguered Osborne: #downgradedChancellor, which soon dominated the list of trends. Yes it really has come down to the battle of the hashtags.
17 x evil claws: Osborne was unabashed, and ignoring the jeers, soldiered on, paving the way for the real champion of the budget speech, Osborne's "evil claw."
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The Evil Claw is unleashed on the opposition
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An example of the more casual claw, as Pickles attempts to rein in one of his chins
We've seen this beauty before, unleashed when Osborne needs to make a particularly pernicious point.
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The claw bathed in the glory of the Union Jack flag, is especially evil-looking
Osborne Tweets
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Budget 2013
The Longest Ever Budget Speech(01 of10)
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William Gladstone delivered an epic Budget speech in 1853 that lasted four hours and 45 minutes. He was fuelled by a mixture of egg and sherry which he sipped throughout. (credit:Getty Images)
Alcohol In The Commons Chamber(02 of10)
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A Chancellor of the Exchequer delivering his Budget is the only person permitted to take alcohol into the Commons Chamber. (credit:Getty Images)
Winston Churchill(03 of10)
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Winston Churchill preferred to drink brandy when delivering his Budgets. (credit:AP)
First Televised Budget(04 of10)
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Thankfully, Gladstone's almost five hour Budget was not televised. That began back in 1990 with John Major's first and only speech.Nice glasses John...
The Very Old Briefcase (05 of10)
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George Osborne's first Budget speech also marked the last appearance of the famous battered old red briefcase. The Parliamentary stalwart was made for Gladstone way back in 1860 and had become too fragile to use. It is now displayed in the Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall. (credit:PA)
The Snappy Dresser(06 of10)
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Labour MP, Leo Abse, was known for his flamboyant dress sense and used to get suits specially tailored for the Budget. Here he is on Budget Day, 1969. (credit:PA)
A Dog Named Budget(07 of10)
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Chancellor of the Exchequer from '79-'83, Sir Geoffrey Howe, named his dog "Budget".Not a word of a lie.Here he is with Budget and his wife, Elspeth. (credit:PA)
The Budget One-Liner(08 of10)
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Not known for their humour, Chancellor Derick Heathcoat-Amory, managed the near impossible with the line:
"There are three things not worth running for - a bus, a woman or a new economic panacea. If you wait a bit, another one will come along.''
In 1960, Heathcoat-Amory collapsed mid-speech. (credit:PA)
The Budget That Never Was(09 of10)
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Tory Iain Macleod, is the only Chancellor to have not delivered a speech, dying shortly after his appointment. (credit:PA)
What's In The Briefcase, Norman?(10 of10)
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You'd be forgiven for thinking the old Gladstone briefcase in this picture contained Norman Lamont's 1993 Budget speech, but you'd be wrong.It actually contained a bottle of whisky while an aide, by the name of William Hague (yes, that one) carried the speech to the chamber.Hague later said of the incident: "It would have been a major disaster if the bag had fallen open."Indeed. (credit:PA)