Is Boris brave enough to confront the truth about the NHS?

If a government does not wish to break a manifesto promise it should punt fewer such ‘promises’ into its manifesto. The modern mania for throwing everything possible into a manifesto – the better to proof it against interference from the House of Lords – renders manifestoes nothing more than a job lot of largely spurious pledges. The vision thing is notable for its absence and the vision thing is more important – and more revealing – than a grocery list of promises.

Still, if you must break a promise it is no bad thing to start with a large and stupid one. The Conservative commitment not to raise any of the major taxes during this parliament was doubtless designed to impress voters, but if it did so it achieved its goal at the expense of betraying the party’s lack of seriousness. Circumstances change and there are times when some tax increases cannot prudently be avoided.