Sunak and Hunt keep talking – but thanks to Zahawi, no one is listening

Editorial: Constant revelations about misbehaviour, rule-breaking, cover-ups, political manipulation and tax avoidance have drowned out whatever messages the government has sought to get across

(Dave Brown)

It is something of a bitter irony that the moment the Conservatives start to at least make some sense on economic policy, the public has ceased to listen.

For the next few weeks, as for the last year or more, the constant revelations about misbehaviour, rule-breaking, cover-ups, political manipulation and tax avoidance have drowned out whatever messages the government has sought to get across. Even Rishi Sunak’s day of “levelling up” was overshadowed by a motoring offence and a fixed penalty. For as long as Nadhim Zahawi is in post, there will be little interest in any little homilies about taxation and the Tories’ ambitions for Britain.

In his keynote speech at Bloomberg, Jeremy Hunt was certainly aiming high, though. Having been through the traumas of recent years, and with a recession already under way, some may not have quite believed their ears when the chancellor – apparently with a straight face – talked about building “the most prosperous country in Europe” (which implies national income per head doubling over some unspecified time period to overtake the rich citizens of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein and Ireland). If it happens, even the fit and youthful Mr Hunt might not be around to see it.