Boris’s ‘boosterism’ isn’t complete nonsense

Lots and lots of optimism. Some can-do spirit. A dash of hope, a sprinkle of belief, some added willpower and a pinch of positive thinking. Oh, and in case you forgot, some more optimism (and a few rays of sunshine as well). A whole week into his premiership, which is longer than some of the sceptics gave it, and one thing is clear about Boris Johnson. He is planning to ride through our departure from the European Union, and any damage to output and jobs it may create, simply by making everyone feel better about it.

Indeed, ‘boosterism’ as it now appears to be known inside Number 10, has turned into a major plank of the government’s economic strategy. A constant stream of new spending initiatives, infrastructure plans, tax cuts and strategic re-launches are going to be unleashed on the country. To a lot of his critics, of course, that is complete nonsense.