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The last time a chancellor of the exchequer appeared on the Sunday morning political shows he helped kick the economy off a cliff-edge.
Seven long weeks ago, Kwasi Kwarteng was still revelling in the aftermath of his not-so-mini budget and its promise of unfunded tax cuts, so much so he promised more to come.
It was that intervention, as much as the cavalier non-budget, that helped markets make up their mind about the UK’s direction under Mr Kwarteng and his mayfly prime minister Liz Truss.
Within hours the pound had slumped and the following day the cost of borrowing soared, a sudden and shocking loss of confidence with long-term consequences for government, business and mortgage holders that is still being felt.
This morning, Mr Kwarteng’s successor used the Sunday platform to try to reassure us, and as importantly the markets, that he is going to clean up the mess.
Jeremy Hunt is only six weeks into the job but he spent as many years as health secretary, and his manner was that of a medic with grave news.
The message from Dr Hunt is that while the patient is very ill, there is a cure, but it’s going to hurt.
“We are going to have to increase taxes and cut public spending to show that we are a country that can pay our way,” he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
“I’m afraid we are all going to have to pay more taxes.”
These are not words Conservative chancellors go into the job dreaming of uttering, but they are based on a diagnosis of the economy Mr Hunt shares with Rishi Sunak, not long out of the job himself and by some accounts still trying to do it from No 10.
Mr Kwarteng’s tax cuts left a £60bn gap – a “black hole” in political journalese – in government plans to have borrowing as a share of GDP…
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