Labour’s clouded vision for the UK economy

The Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is out in the Gulf, peddling infrastructure projects to Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman. His Chancellor Rachel Reeves will be in Brussels, pitching for a better relationship with the European Union. Meanwhile, the government has been pushing for closer ties with China, while also angling for a trade deal with President-elect Donald Trump. Sure, there is plenty of activity – but in reality, Labour appears incapable of deciding what kind of economy it truly wants to create.

There is nothing wrong with looking for a closer relationship with the Gulf. Indeed, the UK could probably learn something from their low tax, light regulation economies, which, along with lots of oil, has made the region one of the fastest growing in the world. But there is probably no point in trying to secure a closer relationship with the EU at the same time – especially as Brussels is going to demand that we accept all its rules and regulations in return.