Britain doesn’t really have a government at the moment. In summers past, this wouldn’t be much of a problem. But the crises are congealing. And waiting until a new prime minister is warmly ensconced in Number 10 is a disaster waiting to happen.
The main activity today is instructive. Yes, the Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi and the Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng (tipped to be the Chancellor in a Truss cabinet) met with the big energy bosses to discuss the soaring cost of energy. They were even joined by a surprise guest, Boris Johnson. But what came of the meeting? Not very much.
As our Deputy Political Editor David Bond reports, no details of any plans for future financial support were given, but Zahawi said that the leaders of the companies present agreed “in the spirit of national unity” to work with the government “to do more to help the people who most need it”. I feel better already.
Could we see an extension of the windfall tax? A repeal of the old one? No one in government can say. Neither the Chancellor, nor the Business Secretary and certainly not the Prime Minister is in a position to make policy.
The reason for this paralysis is obvious. The live action is taking place on the campaign trail and various leadership hustings around the country. At these events, the public is largely a rhetorical afterthought, because the candidates have concluded, reasonably enough, that they don’t have a vote so why pander to them?
As such, both Rish Sunak and Liz Truss are declining to set out exactly what they’d do on energy bills and the wider cost of living crisis, only saying that they’d consider it all in the round and need to see the figures first.
Again, from a short-term electoral perspective, this is fair enough. Back of a fag packet calculations aren’t much good and are ripe for media scrutiny. On the other hand, it means that weeks are going by in which the pitch isn’t being rolled and the policy not being finessed to get help out of the door in time for the winter.
Interregnums such as this are a curiously modern phenomenon in British politics. The run-off between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt in 2019 was the first such time that a leadership election for a new prime minister was decided by the membership of a political party. This takes time.
In 2016, Andrea Leadsom self-destructed. In 1990, when Margaret Thatcher was ousted, she was replaced by John Major within a matter of days. As for Labour, they’re not in government enough for this to be a consideration.
But those crises again. The UK economy is headed for recession. Industrial action is widespread. And people are going to go cold, or hungry, or both this winter without further government support. And the only person offering policy suggestions is... Gordon Brown, who while a highly respected figure is not a cabinet minister, or even an opposition spokesperson.
It is true that ordinary people are not paying close attention now. Everyone is either on holiday, annoyed at their colleagues who are on holiday, or simply trying to stay cool and keep the kids entertained. But that’s why you do the hard yards now. Because come the first frost of autumn, people will expect help from their government, not excuses.
In government – as in life – there is one commodity more precious than gold or even a therm of gas. That is time, and it is a terrible thing to waste.
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