Above all, to what extent will he present a clear plan and message? My starter for ten is “help hard-working people and go for more growth”.
The Government seems to have no plan to communicate as cost of living woes multiply. Here’s a first stab at one.
The Government’s approach is unlikely to bring out the best from those upon whom it depends to get things done.
The shock-absorber is a looser fiscal policy. Although the budget deficit is higher than one would like, the good news is that it is falling sharply.
But bearing the stamp of approval from the Iron Lady and her first Chancellor does not stop them from being a fundamentally bad idea.
As Bright Blue’s new report outlines, we can use tax as a tool to help reach a wide set of economic, social, and environmental goals.
They are not against rich politicians, as long as any success is earned fairly. The Chancellor’s greater vulnerability is the cost-of-living crisis.
In addition to the broad question about the Chancellor’s political judgement, I think he faces three specific problems.
His Spring Statement was a missed opportunity despite some welcome measures – and further measures may be unveiled during the months ahead.
My instinct last week was that he tried too hard to please the Tory press. Nothing’s that’s happened since has suggested otherwise.
A key economic problem during the 1980s was union power. Now it is weak incentives to move and retrain.
The criticism of him in the newspaper most read by Party activists took little account of the effects of war and pandemic on the choices he must make.
At a time of pressure on public spending, delivering efficiency savings is especially important.
The Chancellor should not feel constrained by the OBR’s forecasts into limiting the actions he can take.
We see evident now in the Tory Party, my party, a strange mix of complacency, entitlement, fear and exhaustion.