I see that the Chancellor is now briefing against the OBR, the very watchdog set up to check his figures and make sure he isn’t misleading the nation. I wonder why?
Could it be that the Office for Budget Responsibility is speaking truth to power?
By:
Pointing out the benefit of Free Ports, the Chancellor’s pet project, is exactly zero.
That the benefits of new free trade deals are too small to bother calculating.
Likewise regulatory divergence from the EU is economically insignificant and
That the 15% fall in trade, when other countries are seeing trade grow after Covid, is down to Brexit.
Or that this will cost the British economy 4% of its growth in coming years.
Or maybe it is the fact that the OBR points out he is raising taxes, making people worse off and hoarding money for future tax cuts.
In fact, it can’t be any of those things, HM Treasury employs an awful lot of very bright, well-educated economists and they must be telling the Chancellor exactly the same thing.
But the Chancellor never mentions their analysis, I wonder why?
The fact is that the Chancellor “viscerally hates” the OBR because it is telling the truth to the public, the truth he hides and is happy to hide. But which he can’t make them hide.
He knows Brexit is costing the country and the Treasury a fortune and he just hates anyone credible, impartial and reliable pointing it out.
So I imagine he will soon launch an “enquiry” into its impartiality and usefulness as a pretext for abolishing it.
Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.
When I read you daily visceral hatred I felt smug that I didn't feel that way. Ah but what out that time when such and such happened?Ok - but not as often. What about the time....oh for goodness sake it still isn't that regular!