Like a suave airline steward, Alistair Darling used his speech to the CBI in May to reassure big business that, when it came to tax, “we never forget you have a choice”.

But the “I’m Alistair, fly me” invitation seems to be falling on deaf ears. The chancellor risks being left on board with just the members of the Treasury’s working group on tax – the HSBCs, BPs, BTs and GlaxoSmithKlines that would simply be too embarrassed to switch aircraft mid-flight.