Two extreme versions of what happens next in Britain. Events are more likely to end up somewhere in the middle.
As for “a limited period”, well, we shall see: as Milton Friedman used to say, nothing is so permanent as a temporary Government programme.
The fact that Darlington station was explicitly addressed in his statement is a great sign of how swiftly the Chancellor has mastered the detail of his brief.
It may be necessary, given the Coronavirus, and could even work. But Britain has a long, long record of state spending failing to turbo-charge growth.
The Chancellor’s measures leave us well prepared to tackle its short-term challenges as well as helping to shape the long-term trajectory of the economy.
Plus: As of writing, I’ve had hardly any communications at all from constituents about the Coronavirus.
For the Conservatives to fulfil their promise of “levelling up” the UK, they must create ample employment opportunities.
For the good of passengers, taxpayers and the railway, this pre-internet system needs a wholesale reset.
In the second piece of our mini-series, our guest author says that a switch to the scheme would most likely leave the average motorist better-off.
We must level-up the country. By providing the funds we need, the Government will send a vote of confidence in the power of local decision-making.
“We can consign the next generation to overcrowding, standing up in the carriageways or we can have the guts to take a decision.”
That’s why last week I launched my transport plan for the West Midlands – an ambitious, 20-year vision of how our constituent boroughs will be linked in the coming decades.
Ministers have been asked to push the Government’s priorities – tackling crime, funding the NHS, “levelling up”. How can these be effected without faster growth?
Would the Government have the bottle for planning, childcare and police overhauls – and will Downing Street sign up to this plan anyway?
The reason we will get away with it again, as we did in the banking crash, is that there is so much deflation around, inflation is not a problem.