If the war lasts a few years at most, the Chancellor can take the hit. If it’s a new normal that lasts for decades, the outlook is grim.
“I would expect to see a boost to defence” as “the government must respond to increased threats to the UK”, says the Shadow Defence Secretary.
If local authorities really thought there was backing for Council Tax increases, they wouldn’t dodge holding referendums.
Control the controllables. So provide assistance, ease the pain, reverse the tax hikes, explain why – and focus on a pro-growth strategy.
Government should make it attractive for entrepreneurs and engineers to come up with new ideas themselves.
One can be confident that arguments to the contrary are the sort of defeatist doom-mongering up with which Johnson will not put.
The present division of responsibility helps individuals avoid accountability, and taxpayers pay for it.
We should never forget the millions of people who are “just about managing” – they will find it harder to budget over the next few months.
A problem that £20,000 in hard cash hasn’t solved needs a more imaginative solution than brute force.
There should be a growth target to complement the inflation target – to drive government departments to take actions that will promote more UK activity and jobs.
Without it, we won’t be able to have better public services, less debt and lower deficits, or a fairer deal for younger people.
How do you hugely increase public spending and cut taxes without borrowing? Sunak has until the election to find a way.
Johnson should be allowed to build a legacy with special projects – provided he agrees to big savings elsewhere. There is plenty of scope.
The mission is to create an economy that works for everyone, while protecting people from factors out of their control.