Quote of the day 16th March 2025

"Until this week Labour's strategy was to stimulate growth by hiking taxes, increasing workplace regulation and imposing net-zero. Now it's to stimulate growth by hiking taxes, increasing workplace regulation, imposing net-zero and cutting spending. 

This is Truss level madness."


Former Labour and trade union staffer, now journalist, Dan Hodges on X.


I agree with most of what Dan says.

For the avoidance of doubt - I didn't agree with the Truss strategy which is why I voted for Rishi Sunak. But there are two specific reasons why the comparison between the economic policies of the present government and those of Liz Truss is if anything unfair to Liz Truss.

  • The first is that Truss set out in advance when standing for Prime Minister exactly what she was going to do, and did it. Rishi Sunak correctly predicted what would happen as a result, and those of us who thought he was right had the opportunity to vote accordingly. Starmer and Reeves are following policies which in many respects - a £40 billion tax hike in National Insurance which they had promised not to raise, broken promises to everyone from farmers and students to WASPI women - are the opposite of what they said they would do.
  • The second is that Liz Truss was open about the fact she thought it would be necessary to take risks, promising to "move fast and break things." The risks didn't come off but at least she realised she was taking them. Starmer and Reeves show no sign of having the least awareness about how serious the risks they are taking with the British economy are.  

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