How deep is Britain’s fiscal “black hole”?
Rachel Reeves sets out her first big decisions as chancellor
THE FIRST months of a new British government are precious. Any problems can be blamed on their predecessors, who will struggle for a hearing. Capitalising on that honeymoon period can neutralise the political costs of tough choices: George Osborne, a former Conservative chancellor, moved quickly after the 2010 election to pin the need for swingeing spending cuts on Labour’s profligacy. Britain’s new Labour chancellor is following the same playbook. On July 29th Rachel Reeves presented the results of an audit into the state of the public finances, which she had commissioned straight after the election.
Shabana Mahmood, Britain’s new Lord Chancellor
The new justice secretary is both progressive and religious
How King Charles III counts his swans
A ritual that pleases conservationists and annoys the birds
Britain’s army chief fears war may come sooner than anyone thinks
Could the army cope without more money and troops?
The builder of the Titanic is struggling to stay afloat
Harland and Wolff is fighting for its life
Why Britain’s Labour government enjoys hippy-punching
And why that risks being more of a fetish than a strategy