Why has it been left to David Cameron to make the case for ‘sound finances’?

After days of ministers calling on Theresa May to scrap the public sector pay cap, the fightback has begun. But it’s not coming from the Prime Minister. Instead, it’s been left to May’s predecessor to make the case for fiscal discipline.

After the Chancellor put his foot down in a speech to the CBI last night – saying that now is not the time to ‘take our foot off the pedal’, his message was today echoed by David Cameron. On a trip to South Korea, the former Prime Minister appeared to seamlessly step back into his old job as he made the moral case for austerity. He accused those who give up on ‘sound finances’ of being selfish:

‘The opponents of so-called austerity couch their arguments in a way that make them sound generous and compassionate. They seek to paint the supporters of sound finances as selfish, or uncaring. The exact reverse is true.