It is now widely understood that Boris is the most left wing Tory prime minister since Harold Macmillan. He was telling everyone who would listen off stage at the party conference that the economic model of the last 40 years had failed. For ‘economic model’ read Thatcherism. Or perhaps the literal interpretations of Thatcherism which have formed the bedrock of Tory faith for nearly two generations.
Unfortunately Boris is not about detail. Fortunately Rishi Sunak, his chancellor, is. A lot of details, especially feel good items, have been either briefed or leaked over the last several days, as the tradition of absolute secrecy concerning the contents of the chancellor’s red box have been more or less abandoned. But these have been things which apparently will happen. So far we do not know how they are going to happen. How they can be afforded and who will pay, what will be borrowed and how much will be printed.
Before any judgment can be offered about the future of Boris and his plan to transform the economy for the better, we need to have some answers to these many questions. In detail.
Hopefully tomorrow we will get them.