McHunt heard a voice speak up over the others. "I am glad to be here", she said. "It has been four years since I was able to practice as a financial planner, thanks to the government's so-called reforms.
"We'd all been warning the Treasury for years that they needed to sort out the structure and organisation of the regulator. All our warnings went unheeded.
"The government felt the regulator itself was too big to fail - and then it failed, taking all of us down with it and leaving millions of people without any trusted advisers."
"Aye, and the AI support systems have just locked people out of their savings for no seeming reason, with no ability for them to complain or appeal to a human being", said the man on the guitar.
"It's all McHunt's fault", said a third.
McHunt glanced at his reflection of the NEC's doorway, and jumped in fright: he was morphing into all the ghosts of chancellors past, including ones who had only been around for a few weeks.
"No!" he screamed, yelling at the silent driver. "I am not turning into another failed chancellor! I won't ignore the warnings of experienced professionals."
He knelt before the Tesla and sobbed. "I know that it is truly better to give than to receive. From now I will keep the spirit of Christmas all through my Budgets and Autumn Statements.
"I will truly support small businesses - including advisers. I will make sure regulation is fair and proportionate and that the consumer is truly protected. Oh help me spirit."
And as McHunt cried into the folds of the adviser's Charles Trywhitt suit, he heard the morning bells chiming over Eastminster and saw the sun rising from behind the curtains. He was home, and he was in his own pjs.
Why sir, it's Christmas Day!
He ran to the window and threw up the sash. His intern was still outside, shivering in the snow.
"You, youngster! What day is it?"
The intern looked up. "Why sir, it's Christmas Day."
"Then I haven't missed it! Huzzah!" And with that, McHunt danced around his room, once again terrifying the Number 10 cat who kept trying to seek refuge there from the (definitely no) parties next door.
"I shall keep the spirit of Christmas alive all the year!" he pledged.
And with that, he ran outside, bumping into the minister for the department for work and pensions.
"Come here and let me whisper in your ear, if you please", said McHunt.
The woman looked shocked. "That much to implement a better pensions dashboard? Why McHunt!"
He laughed: "Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you. Will you do me that favour?"
