29 January 2025, 18:25 | Updated: 29 January 2025, 18:29

By David Buik

Regardless of political persuasion, everyone here in ‘Old Blighty’ would want this enthusiastic, but business naïve government, to succeed for their families and the general welfare of the country.

To date, the Government’s policies for delivering growth has been not only incomprehensible, but also misguided.

No one doubts that the previous Conservative administration left the public finances in disrepair, leaving the Chancellor in a bind with little room to manoeuvre in terms of borrowing.

However, did Chancellor Reeves dine out on it! She and her Cabinet colleagues never gave up a single opportunity to vilify the incompetence of the Tories, almost to a point of excruciating boredom.

What has frustrated many political observers is that after 14 years in opposition, cogent economic policies did not appear to have been cobbled together.

We got the ‘change’ and ‘growth’ messages loud and clear. Even though the smoked salmon bagel breakfasts had been well received in the City and by the ‘good and the great’ from business, Messrs Starmer, Reeves and Reynolds failed to capitalise on the massive level of goodwill there was for this new administration.

The much-vaunted ‘£22 billion ‘Black Hole’ was not accepted as a mitigating excuse.

Having to wait three months for the Budget, meant its timing proved to be an error of judgement.

The Budget was plain anti-business.........

© LBC