George Osborne’s big idea

What are the Ashes? This question was put to former England cricket captain Ted Dexter, the guest of honour at the launch last night of the writer and broadcaster Simon Hughes’s latest book. Dexter replied that the Ashes is an idea; the terms of engagement that had united two sporting nations in rivalry for nearly 150 years.

Few things in life are more durable than a simple idea. The idea of ‘austerity’ drives our political debate and yesterday’s spending review has extended the life of the idea deep into the next parliament. It is a political concept rather than a purely economic issue. It used to allow the government and Labour to define themselves broadly in the imagination of a largely apathetic public; but the dynamic is changing as the recovery continues to be slow and debt mounts. It remains to be seen how Labour will shape a responsible economic policy; but the government is plainly determined to lay traps for Labour to revert to type.