How will the Conservatives explain the terrible economy since 2019? | The New Statesman

Can Rishi Sunak blame Covid, the war in Ukraine and the legacy of the financial crash or will Liz Truss's record haunt him in the general election?
Subscribe here: / @newstatesman
Rachel Cunliffe, Freddie Hayward and George Eaton answer a listener's question.
--
The New Statesman podcast is now on KZbin. Anoosh Chakelian and New Statesman colleagues including political editor Andrew Marr discuss the latest in UK politics news, helping you understand the forces shaping British politics today.
Watch all the latest episodes of the New Statesman podcast here: • The New Statesman Podcast
--
The New Statesman brings you unrivalled analysis of of the latest UK and international politics. On our KZbin channel you’ll find insight on the top news and global current affairs stories, as well as insightful interviews with politicians, advisers and leading political thinkers, to help you understand the political and economic forces shaping the world.
With regular contributions from our writers including Political Editor Andrew Marr and Anoosh Chakelian - host of the New Statesman podcast - we’ll help you understand the world of politics and global affairs from Westminster to Washington and beyond.
Subscribe on KZbin: / @newstatesman
Sign up to Morning Call, the daily UK politics newsletter from the New Statesman: morningcall.substack.com
Subscribe to the New Statesman from just £1 per week: www.newstatesman.com/podcasto...

[@L9MN4sTCUk]

The title is wrong. Should be since 2010. Austerity is a scheme to create a terrible economy. The UK hasn't recovered from the 2008 GFC.

[@GunnySerg]

What austerity?

[@lensman5762]

Austerity was a planned scheme to make the money men ( the ones who are mostly Z.....) the ultimate authority to answer to, by removing money from the hands of ordinary people. It served no purpose, but make the super rich even more rich and powerful.

[@Toodyslexicforyou]

@@GunnySerglook it up

[@kanedNunable]

austerity is designed so the rich dont lose their assets.

[@kanedNunable]

@@GunnySerg nurse he's not taking his meds again

[@captpicard100]

Personally I hope the Lib Dem’s get more seats than the Tories so that they are not even the official opposition anymore. That would be the ultimate humiliation for them, and they deserve it.

[@Joekd6.1]

The libdems propped up the Tories for 5 years

[@paulcharles8989]

Only if their leader...can stop using the clock props he keeps using when campaigning.

[@nicks4934]

@@Joekd6.1so?

[@_Stroda]

@@Joekd6.1 They did what sane politicians hoping to have a genuine say in the governance of the country would do, as hard as it may be for the activist types who seem to favour eternal, ineffectual opposition to grasp... We were not getting a Lab-Lib coalition. If the LDs put up too much opposition whilst in the coalition, we'd have had another election which would, almost certainly, have seen the Conservatives win a majority. People were fed up with Labour, much as they are with the Conservatives today. Millions of voters lap up idiotic nonsense like 'there's no money left', 'the economy is like a household budget'. They'd lap up nonsense along the lines of 'we're the only serious party willing to do what's necessary to fix the country'. Attacks on the LDs from those to the left are almost always hypocritical trash. Labour were proposing roughly the level of austerity that we ended up experiencing thanks to the LDs tempering of the Conservatives. Labour introduced, and raised tuition fees whilst running majority governments.

[@Joekd6.1]

@nicks4934 so their complicit enabling of the Tories should not be forgotten

[@danthsmith]

They’ll keep saying covid/ Ukraine till their tongues fall out

[@ahdhudbbh]

Those are the main reasons. Could well have been worse under Corbyn. At least the Tories got rid of their Corbyn (Truss) after a month. The real Corbyn would have hung around for much longer

[@simoncullum5019]

But no mention of Brexit

[@blazzz13]

@@ahdhudbbh Except your perception is conjecture, fuelled by the rags no doubt. What we know for a fact is under Blair/Brown things were much much better. From immigration, NHS, schools, corruption, etc etc

[@GazTU1]

Yep the fact all G7 economies apart from the UK have now recovered to and beyond pre pandemic levels will be ignored. Just like fact and reality in general.

[@maureenstarr5744]

Labour have nothing to crow about look at their history

[@slightlyconfused876]

It was all Jeremy Corbyn's fault. That's the usual excuse.

[@TheLucanicLord]

hE leAve'D a nOAt!

[@jackdubz4247]

I blame it all on Ed Milliband's failure to eat a sandwich properly. And Nicola Sturgeon.

[@Toungecat]

I'll never understand why the Tories are so willing to go with that weak-sauce attack, Corbyn never was Prime Minister, he was simply a Labour PM candidate that failed to get elected, his flaws pales in comparison to those of Lizz Truss who actually was given power (without the public having a say in it) and then nearly wrecked the economy. Attacking Labour for Corbyn is basically a Labour is made of rubber and Tories made of glue scenario.

[@davidhoward4715]

Corbyn lost two elections in a row, one by a flipping landslide. Putin's puppet is a man of the past.

[@pritapp788]

Yes, him and the pro-Palestinian students, and the communists. But also the Americans, the Germans and the French, as well as the Indians who don't respect their former master anymore.

[@JoeWedgwood-ik9zo]

God I can’t stand seeing Truss’s gormless smug face any longer

[@garrysinclair9767]

I find it odd that Brexit was not once mentioned. I am fully aware that Brexit occurred in June, 2016. However, it seems to me that the financial effects of that slow motion national suicide are in part responsible for the "terrible economy since 2019". The Tories - Labour - and now The New Statesman have decided to sweep it under the national rug.

[@JT-si6bl]

I'm hardly surprised though from TNS to not bring that into this narrative. Remember; there IS something in the water... Absolutely NOTHING about Osborn's austerity choice, or Brown's selling cheap gold... RBS... and all the rates nation wide shafting every street shop of any chance of sustainability. (Unless its a multinational).

[@ianworley8169]

The Brexit transitional period ended in January 2020. It's full effects started then.

[@reaperz5677]

The Financial Times recently made a pretty great mini-movie that kind of explains why this phenomenon is present. This isn't an issue of political parties - this is just an issue with the UK's political system in general.

[@kicorse]

The question was on how the Tories will explain the poor economic performance since 2019. Do you seriously think *they* will put it down to Brexit?!

[@jackdubz4247]

@@reaperz5677 The SNP brought up Brexit just last week in the HoC and Penny Mordaunt told them to shut up about Brexit.

[@anthonyclegg1511]

The tories boast about food banks. Disgusting.

[@antonycraggs4041]

How is it possible that we’re having a conversation about the economy and its mismanagement without discussing Brexit? The country is being gaslighted.

[@redacted3740]

Honestly, i still blame Thatcherism

[@anthonyclegg1511]

Shhh they might dig her up.

[@redacted3740]

@@anthonyclegg1511 would make a decent Halloween decoration

[@kevoreilly6557]

“I’ll have the steak?” “And the vegetables?” “They’ll have the same”

[@Captain_Aardvark]

You're not wrong. We were warned at the time that "selling off the family silver" will only give us financial boost in the short term but will end up costing us more.

[@captaintorch983]

Remember it vividly do you?

[@machidaman]

Brexit? The single biggets contributor to thw countri s economic and social woes? Tories 100% responsible for it.

[@JRattheranch]

And BREXIT!

[@kanedNunable]

they will lie and the media will help them.

[@Captain_Aardvark]

They could point out that Billionaires have done extremely well out of the economy during the last few years, so it's not all bad news.

[@ColinBarrett001]

Yes, I've never quite understood how £billions hoarded in off-shore tax haven accounts 'trickles down'...

[@gavinsmith9564]

They can't blame Brexit which is obviously a massive success now that we all have streets paved with gold and a unicorn in every driveway.

[@ritchardwilliams3874]

The Tories do not have any plans apart from 'slash & burn' the economy for short term gains in terms of funding tax cuts and 'hands-off' government where they just hope for the best. The Tories have failed the country as they have no strategy to develop the long term economic and social well being. Privatisation of rail & services has been a failure, there is creeping privatisation of the NHS which is failing + problems with schools, road infrastructure, degrading city centres and our industrial base is now thin. Brexit was a completely wasted period of diversion away from delivering real policy- in effect it has been typical Tory 'jam tomorrow'. Following Brexit not only has fishing and farming suffered but the City of London is now in relative decline and Euro clearing is moving to the EU. In short, name something that has improved since they have been in Office!

[@ColinBarrett001]

Uuh, nope...! Can't think of anything.... Oh yes! The blue passport's quite pretty.... Shame only the rich can now afford to use it...

[@trailsandbeers]

they will deny it and lie like they always do 🤷‍♂️

[@DeltaV-sayno2CCP]

Poor people will be expected to eat bugs, live with nothing and give more money to the corrupt rich.

[@kevoreilly6557]

You forgot they will be expected to pay for the privilege …

[@coreyc1685]

It's never their fault. There's always someone else to blame. There's always a conspiracy or a stab in the back, without which their policies would've created heaven on earth.

[@marksimons8861]

They are just trying to avoid the elephant in the room: Brexit!

[@Tom_murray89]

Austerity probably more than likely cost the taxpayers more than it saved. Also the tories have had their day

[@andybrice2711]

That seems to be an emerging economic consensus. Countries which pursued austerity post 2008 generally fared worse than countries which pursued stimulus. I think there are limits to Keynesian economics. But broadly speaking it does seem to make sense for governments to act as counter-cyclical investors.

[@luke7708]

​​​@@andybrice2711last week Rachel Reeves and a shadow treasury MP both squirmed and wriggled in order to avoid directly answering the question of "will there be departmental cuts under Labour". So we're having more austerity it seems.

[@davidhoward4715]

@@luke7708 So te Labour Party that was last in power in 2010 is to blame?

[@luke7708]

@@davidhoward4715 What?! No! Austerity was an ideological excuse to cut the state by Cameron and Osborne. But with Labour now boxing themselves in fiscally, they aren't ruling out departmental cuts (austerity). My point is this forthcoming Labour government isn't likely to be economically any better than 2010, and so I am not enthusiastic about them.

[@andybrice2711]

@@luke7708 In fairness, we may have reached the healthy limits of national debt and quantitative easing during the pandemic. Though considering how some people got very rich off that disruption while the rest of us suffered. I’m more in a tax-and-spend mood at the moment.

[@petermoranmoran5697]

What about Brexit?

[@jackdubz4247]

Austerity caused Brexit.

[@ColinBarrett001]

@@jackdubz4247 Bit of a leap there Jack. Tory ideological austerity (make everyone else poor while Tories get rich on our tax funds) and Tory infighting like rats in a sack over their looney 'sovereignty' ideology are really two separate Tory insanities.

[@bwalla50]

I'm quite sure that the Tories will blame the bad economy on sunspots.

[@geraldbutler5484]

Do you have to walk into the dark holding a burning cross and chanting hymns of redemption before the word ‘Brexit’ is spoken? The UK committed economic suicide and now has a problem with amnesia.

[@davidhoward4715]

The video is about the Tories explaining what went wrong. Why on Earth would the Tories mention Brexit?

[@Joe-og6br]

They'll blame Labour. Easy.

[@stevecoppin6396]

if the nhs hadn't been so mismanaged , lockdown wouldn't have been so long or widespread

[@lensman5762]

Blame Labour, Global Warming, War in Ukraine, The Pandemic, The Boat People, The Cost Of Living Cirsis, Tension Between Israel and the Arabs, Iranian Missiles, The potholes in our Motorways, and People Just Expecting a Compenetant Government!!! Ah, I forgot, we also need £75 bn on our armed forces.

[@dereks1264]

For a Labour slogan, how about "You've Never Had It So Bad"?

[@sol2746]

Usually the last government 14 years ago.

[@benglishman]

43 seconds in and the question has been asked and answered.

[@flyingdutchman3483]

They brag about the plan working with our latest growth figures being better than the rest of the G7 but don't like to mention that since the pandemic UK growth has been 1.7% and the Eurozone is double that at 3.4% plus of course salaries between 2005 and 2018 in Germany have increased by 40% and in France 39% and way at the bottom is the UK at just 9% which to be fair is what Brexit MP's had promised the businesses that supported them, which was to have a low wage low tax society, plus they have allowed P&O to sack all its British crews and replace them with less skilled labour with below minimum wages and long working hours, and are only now having to back down because of the French taking action and forcing P&O to change its policy or face consequences (Which our own government wanting to frighten British trade unions should have done had they not been party to P&O's deception) and now of course concentrating us on the boat crossings whilst at the same time letting in thousands with visa's to fulfil the Brexit promise of an abundance of cheap labour.

[@buzzukfiftythree]

The Tories always love taking credit for inflation falling. The reality is that governments have relatively little control over the economy. They can accelerate economic growth or nudge it in the right direction, but it's usually external issues that influence economic downturns. The Liz Truss effect was a deliberate shock - the Tories will want to play that one down. The feelgood factor right now is still abysmal.

[@aleccap5946]

Dizzy Lizzy 45 days paid £2600 a week for life. Me, work 50 years 2 months get paid £200 a week for ljfe. These scumbags are what's wrong with this country

[@kola100]

Same as normal ……. Lie !

[@julianlawrence-ball2279]

It wasn’t us it was the Labour Party policies of Tony Blair back in the 90s

[@davidhoward4715]

Don't forget Labour in the late 1940s!

[@TheF1uffyOne.50]

It doesn't matter how they try and expain away their failings, nobody believes or trusts them. Rightly so.

[@Lpreilly72]

I love Britain. I lived there, got a masters degree while I was there in 1978, and have desperately missed it ever since. What the Tories have done, since 1978 to your country that I love, is tragic. Sad. Angering. Infuriating. The British problem is that the Tories listen to the American extreme right way too much. And I’m a Yank! Liz Truss is the best example of how American Trumpism has destroyed your country. Time to reject that and rejoin the EU, which Trump and Putin hate.

[@ColinBarrett001]

Well said. And thank you. You're exactly right. The entitled British feudal system of government by inbred artistocratic incompetents and right-wing head-bangers, propped up by an almost entirely Tory-owned media has effectively destroyed Britain. It's a country I was once proud to be part of but, now living in France, after years of Tory mis-rule and their truly insane brexit, I'm slightly ashamed to admit to being English.

[@jackdubz4247]

"something something"Liam Byrne's 2010 note "something something"

[@Calum_S]

Only since 2019? It always makes me wonder why the Tories have a reputation for economic competence. I was born in the 80's and have lived through far more Tory recessions than Labour ones. Not to mention the downgrading of the country's credit rating.

[@Bob-bx2vk]

COVID? 1,000 times worse than it should have been for one reason Johnson did not understand exponential functions

[@kanedNunable]

uk, 250k covid deaths, japan, 1k. says it all really.

[@davidedwards6230]

My word. Economics from teenagers. I despair. Are these fools the future?

[@richardmccallum8597]

Sit down boomer you are the past

[@johnrichards2508]

Jeremy Corbyn obvs

[@andyashcroft4049]

Is Lizzie truss mad as a hatter!?🎉🎉🎉😂😂😂

[@davidhoward4715]

Yes.

[@andrewnorth4857]

The economy has been terrible for most of this century so far. Ask anyone trying to get on the property ladder.

[@KR-rs3vn]

If you voluntarily exclude yourself from a tariff-free market of 500 million people and impose trade restrictions on it instead then of course your economy is going to take a hit. But the Tories probably wont mention that.

[@unusedsub3003]

The UK is just so awful 😖

[@ianfraser6161]

And Brexit.

[@user-cf3cr8ki7e]

By shifting goal post

[@stringbok]

It’s not just since 2019. All the key indicators,growth, wages, debt,child poverty,NHS waiting lists have moved in the wrong direction since 2010.

[@StratsRUs]

Blame it on The Disabled, The Poor, The Poor Disabled, the Disabled Poor. Gideon snd Dodgy Dave and AUSTERITY.

[@wildskel6350]

They'll blame c0vid.

[@hayleys1260]

Yes. Because it's true. Because shutting down the western world on and off for two years has extreme financial consequences.

[@user-yn7md3uh3c]

Where is Brexit in this?

[@Joe-og6br]

Why would they blame something that was a positive for them?

[@TylerDewey]

Interesting that there's no mention of brexit in this video

[@alanbudgen2672]

2019 - Get Brexit Done. 2024 - Where did it all go wrong?

[@davidclarke6329]

By lying and saying its getting better. Like right now.

[@tobylynch]

A total mess is still a total mess however you try to pass the buck.

[@richardtuxford1812]

I think what's hilarious is Truss is still out there pumping the line she was right! This is just keeping it fresh in everyone's mind that she was the major catalyst for the downturn in people's personal finances

[@gerhardaigner5108]

Above all don‘t mention Brexit. How long do you want to do that?

[@Gert-DK]

I find it weird, when talking economy in the UK. 2008, Ukraine and the Pandemic always comes up. When talking economy here in Denmark, it rarely comes up. Last time we had a genuine crisis here, was in 1986. Measurements were instated, "kartoffelkuren" = the potato cure. That one I remember, but 2008 I remember big banks going down, economic I did not feel anything and I even had a house at the time. COVID-19 was a small bump in our economy. Our economy was back on track before the pandemic ended. We have donated so much to Ukraine. All our artillery (brand-new state of the art) has been donated, it's true, we don't have one single canon left in the country, only a Trebuchet in a museum. We have donated F16s, we are training Ukrainian soldiers and pilots, we have promised to rebuild the city Mykolaiv. We have taken in thousands of refugees from Ukraine. All the above, costs a lot of money, especially for a small country. You don't hear anybody crying, we are taking it and moving on. What's wrong with the UK, crying and crying like a little child. It's like they are crawling around with a magnifying glass, just to find someone or something to blame. MOVE ON!! It is with great concern that we see, what is going on in our former colony.

[@holgernielsen-ti8ej]

The Conservatives might want to avoid explaining the poor economy and instead ask Labor what plan they have for improving the situation. Labor is not winning the election based on presenting a good alternative. They are winning because most voters are fed up with the Conservatives. Labor has not presented a plan to reverse the effects of Truss, Brexit, war in Ukraine and COVID. I am afraid voters will expect immediate results and be deeply disappointed.

[@jonr309]

The Tories main issue is rank incompetence. Everything they do is so flawed. They blame COVID yet other countries have recovered better, they wasted billions on giving useless contracts to their mates, they partied while everyone else followed the rules etc. The economy has been affected by Ukraine yet they have done nothing on energy security since 2010 and even before when we had the North Sea oil bonanza. Norway have done a much better job of this. The NHS has been underfunded systemically and deliberately and we now see waiting lists in several millions and people genuinely dying waiting to be seen. You can’t get an ambulance and it was just as bad pre pandemic etc etc. Lastly and perhaps worse of all is Brexit. Tories have been in power for the vast majority of the last 50 and more years and they have succeeded in making sure the really rich are ok and every one else is secondary. We need change in both government and the democratic system so we can not see this type of extreme government get hands on the levers of power again. There is lots to do and it starts with a change at the next election. Personally I hope it’s a hung parliament with Labour (or Libs but unlikely) the largest party forced to include real electoral reform as part of the plan.

[@bekelegessesse2601]

The 6 week PM cannot explain. She lost and left. Let her leave us alone.

[@cyberangelcop]

The reign of the king and queen should be over. It’s so obvious the RF are not what any citizen or society should be looking up to or curtsy to or admired. Why isn’t anyone worried about the UK citizens poverty, income, salaries, etc! Yet paying Royal for barely being out there! And acting like children, competing in the spotlight, etc! There has to be an end to this and if not for the citizens then for the current children of the monarchy sake

[@Auriflamme]

Rishi Sunak: We can't blame it on the sunshine, moonlight or good times. Can we just blame it on the boogie? Jeremy Hunt: Mmm, Boris already used that excuse for the Covid parties

[@IGhomevideos]

Question: Why is Sunak allowed to essentially run a year-long campaign? I thought that we had stricter rules on how long you can campaign before an election. Also, do you think Sunak's approach of campaigning for the GE but not calling it for so long is hurting him more than it's helping?

[@davidchamberlain5425]

Well🤔 Harold Wilson 🫣🫣🫣🫣..blah blah smirk smirk 🤫

[@alundavies1016]

I’m guessing they won’t even address it.

[@davidnorton7437]

No need, just deny the truth.

[@gailhill5734]

They might blame covid and war and like you NOT mention the tory imposed Brexit debacle that has also impacted on GDP, immigration etc.

[@maureenstarr5744]

Furlow was the biggest mistake

[@rhodarobertson9835]

Truss needs sued for what she did. She didnt listen to.anyone but herself. Kick her to the kerb and never let her into.Politics again.

[@DonybrookandBray]

Only since 2019! WTF have you been!?

[@sandyellis28]

It will be very difficult for Tories to ride on economy. On Covid, it just reminds people of all they got wrong - deaths, parties, PPE contracts, loans, corruption etc. Brexit is something they won’t talk about seriously & people know it’s a problem so just stop listening to everything they say. Lab will keep pushing on Truss plus just the chronic collapse of all public services. Be interesting to see what Lab will do if Tories introduce or campaign on another 2p cut in tax. Hope Lab front it & say we’d love to cut taxes for working people but we’re in a state of emergency atm with NHS list, soc care, dentists, crime, prison spaces, local govt, housing, defence, child poverty etc., so not responsible to cut tax right now! They need a really sharp ad campaign to show this decay & try create a national unity movement for everyone to come together to renew country & help. Could be quite glorious - like a post war rebuilding effort or charity ads for developing countries! If not explained, many people will vote for tax cuts.

[@maureenstarr5744]

Labour is the worst party for balancing the books just you wait. And see hilarious

[@moore_news]

Why only since 2019? Lol

[@khar12d8]

Most Brits want essentially the govt to do a lot more. Labour's problem in recent years has not been being economically out of touch but culturally out of touch. Brexit made that feel even more the case in 2019 for many economically left Leave supporters. Starmer has made the party seem less out of touch so shot the Tories fox there. But a big challenge will be the reality that there is a genuine limit to how much the state can do, tax rises are always tricky, and improving workers rights etc... Will get blow back from parts of society. Eventually. Small business owners in particular. In a funny way in the coming years we might end up in a more classic left vs right argument about the economy. A lot will depend on if growth actually improves under Labour.

[@davidhoward4715]

The wishful thinking starts at 4:12 .

[@martinhartecfc]

You seem to have misspelled 2007 in your title.

[@davidhoward4715]

That's the spirit! Blame the Labour Party that hasn't been in power for 14 years!

[@martinhartecfc]

@@davidhoward4715 I don't blame the Labour party (I blame both parties, although not equally), I hate the Tories and think Jeremy Corbyn is the best PM this country never had. Your assumption that I wrote that to blame Labour is incorrect. I wrote it because (at least for the working class), it is true.

[@maureenstarr5744]

They wont improve we had 17 years of Labour

[@billturner6564]

What the absolute Avalanche of money that the Conservatives pissed away down the drain was out of their control was it Absolutely transparent rubbish eat out to help out pathetic

[@nicks4934]

If only it was just that

[@billturner6564]

@@nicks4934 I didn't have all day to make the full list ... Who has ..

[@bekelegessesse2601]

Why did Liz Truss copy Labour's Peter Mandrlson and ssif I am a fighter, not a quitter? But she quit within 6 weeks.

[@RandallSlick]

Outside of the Westminster bubble, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who apportions the state of the economy predominately on Truss's budget. More likely is a general sense of a spiral of decline since 2010 aside from the Brexit headbangers. If I'm correct, then the public will give a Lab government a lot of leaway. That of course presupposes that there's not a vast anti-Labour propaganda drive ramping up from it's present mild state as soon as they take the keys to No 10.

[@thepm3972]

They can't

[@user-fj9vh2ms5g]

England.........please stop listening to tory LIES

[@bluemotion14]

They will blame Labour and Jeremy Corbyn obviously

[@alanconway94]

Whatever the Tories are going to say, Starmer's strategy is very clear: Vote Labour - because we're all Tories now.

[@nicks4934]

Not really

[@nicks4934]

The Times is a tory supporter. Not as bad as the loonies on the express or telegraph or mail but make no doubt about it.

[@archie7218]

Yes Covid was massive, and the war in Ukraine has had an impact. But remember Brexit, a complete own goal fully orchestrated by the tories that is now seemingly never spoken about

[@naomifield1475]

They will lie

[@mikeaugust]

That's easy to answer, Putin is to blame, obviously, duh.

[@whatsthelatest193]

What is it with some Brits getting themselves tangled up in a awkward friendship with some other country, you should have just continued normally like the rest of the world.

[@hayleys1260]

Half the world shutting down on and off for two years is the reason. Period. People are uncomfortable talking about it, because they don't want to remember it, the unethical contracts to associates, the creeping authoritarianism it brought, the new info coming out about excess deaths, and so many more reasons, it's a collective trauma. And labor would have done no differently - and that's the point everyone needs to get - they are a uni-party. Don't vote for either.

[@nicks4934]

Nope. Why is uk worse in g7.

[@nicks4934]

Ill vote labour.

[@nicks4934]

People who say period are so clever 😅

[@thetruthful8388]

Answer: cover and Russian war if you didn’t realise what was going on.

[@maureenstarr5744]

They cant fix it all they know id debt for Labour

[@dps615]

Covid? Most countries entered recession

[@ColinBarrett001]

And they ALL handled it far better than the corrupt bloody Tories under Boris brexit bloody Johnson!

[@Mike_5]

Dumb & Dumber (Truss and Kwarteng) have a lot of explaining to do in this matter

[@FranzBieberkopf]

How will they explain? Same as the Tories usually do-lie.

[@andrewchart147]

COVID 19??????

[@kirishima638]

Vaccine rollout! 😂

[@ahdhudbbh]

Covid + Ukraine. The UK's economic performance has been pretty normal compared to the rest of Europe during this time.

[@nicks4934]

Weak journalism. Poor research. Bright young things not being very bright. Do your jobs or stop being compromised by your employer.