Labour can’t believe they are heading for victory

Last night, Labour politicians wondered how to respond to the challenges the Chancellor was sending their way. Do you accept the Conservatives’ real-term spending cuts and tax rises? How would you revive the economy?

The best answer came from a shadow minister who told me ‘We should just say “imagine how good this country could be if we had a government that didn’t do mad stuff”.’

We Won’t Do Mad Stuff is not the most inspiring of electoral slogans. For years voters across the West have moved towards Trump-style politicians who promised to do precisely that. Where is the vision in not doing mad stuff? Where is the hope that we can take back control and make Britain great again if we leave the mad stuff alone?

It won’t satisfy journalists or Labour’s opponents, who immediately demanded to know today which of Hunt’s measures the party would oppose. This is a fair question that shadow ministers expected.  When