Chancellor shakes fist at ‘excessive’ borrowing in thin speech pointing to grim Budget

Short, not very sweet, and without much to say about the government’s grotesque policy failures, Rishi Sunak’s Tory conference speech had thin gruel for businesses, public sector workers and Britain’s poorest families, writes James Moore

Businesses could be forgiven for indulging in cynical laughter after Rishi Sunak described the Conservatives as the party of business (AFP/Getty)

“The most exciting place on Planet Earth,” Rishi Sunak said of his ambitions for Britain.

Today’s Tories tend not to be much interested in events beyond their own navels. The chancellor, who made great play of having worked in tech-happy California, is a little more open in his outlook.

He’ll presumably, then, be aware that Britain is already generating quite a lot of excitement throughout the rest of Planet Earth. It’s just the wrong sort of excitement; the sort you usually get before your favourite comedy show comes on.