“The levels… are far too high, and I’m determined to bring them down to sustainable levels”, the Prime Minister replies.
The Government may be looking ahead to another winter of mild disruption, lengthening waiting lists, and protracted negotiations. Nonetheless, the prognosis is not half as gloomy as this time last year.
Doing the minimum possible on legal migration would have the unwelcome effect for the Prime Minister of prolonging and intensifying debate about it.
Labour have found two ways of circumventing Hunt’s spending trap: first, to ignore it, and, second, to reduce pressure on the public finances through optimistic promises of economic growth.
The Prime Minister will want to avoid the trap that Gordon Brown created for himself in the autumn of 2007.
Our chosen model is grossly unjust and will have many horrible consequences. But it already has, and yet it ticks along, because those consequences are not evenly spread.
Through their overreaction, they may have handed the UK something quite wondrous: a genuine economic benefit of Brexit.
Monday’s speech and today’s announcement show them choosing their ground for the next election. And since Hunt may find no money for further tax cuts next spring, the option of a May general election is opening up.
The Chancellor, who was watched by his wife and children, indicated that he will take no risks.
In the absence of a convincing change narrative, the Prime Minister fell back yesterday on trying to frighten voters with a Labour government.
They were: reducing debt, cutting taxes, ensuring our energy security, increasing business investment, and reforming education.
Hunt should raise his sights from South West Surrey, and focus on tax cuts that would bring the greatest relief to the greatest number.
‘He and the Prime Minister say they are low tax Conservatives, but at some point before the election they have got to show that.’
The commercialisation of higher education has helped transform once elite centres of learning into remedial sectors for failing comprehensives, too ready to take authoritarian cash.
The Government needs as broad a coalition of voices as possible to tackle the fissure opening up in our constitution and public life.