Boris Johnson made a speech on the economy this week, unusual for him because economic policy is not his natural terrain. More predictably, he had nothing of substance to say.
‘The answer to our current economic predicament,’ he declared, ‘is not more tax and spending’ — this from a prime minister who is the premier league leader when it comes to tax and spend.
‘The answer,’ he continued, unabashed, ‘is economic growth.’
He was speaking only 24 hours after the OECD, a club of rich countries, had downgraded UK economic growth for this year and forecast no growth at all in 2023.