ONE of Rishi Sunak’s pet phrases is that he is“listening”. He said it repeatedly at his Business Connect event last month, billed as the Tories’ re-engagement with business leaders after the dismal Boris Johnson era. The suits, though, aregetting rather tired of Sunak’s smile and earnest nodding and assurances. What is the point of saying you’re listening, then doing nothing?
At the gathering of corporate chiefs, Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry, said the Government had scored a “spectacular own goal” by scrapping tax breaks for tourists. There’s no question that Murphy is right. It’s obvious to anyone visiting the designer boutiques and department stores of the West End or the luxury shops at the airports that they’re unnaturally quiet. Travellers who would normally be spending their money are choosing not to do so, saving it for a more tax-friendly destination. This newspaper has long argued it is a nonsense.
