The whole row over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross’s disgusting prank calls continues to dominate the headlines this morning. That prime political opportunist Jack Straw has now waded into the matter, dropping heavy hints that Jonathan Ross should be fired.
Brand and Ross have created a good moment to bury bad news–normally the news that house prices have fallen 15 percent in the last years would be a huge story. But it is still worth coming back to the deeply unsatisfying Mais lecture delivered by the Chancellor last night. As Fraser noted, Darling declared the old fiscal rules inappropriate for the present last night without putting anything else in their place. Indeed throughout the speech, Darling ducked the big questions. Peter Riddell points out in The Times today that
Mr Darling’s lecture, however, glosses over the real debate: should the Government announce further tax and spending measures to boost the economy above what is happening anyway? Or should the main emphasis be on cutting interest rates?
For all the good headlines the government has got during this crisis, we still have remarkably little idea about how it intends to steer the economy to safety.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate, free for a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.
UNLOCK ACCESS Try a month freeAlready a subscriber? Log in