Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Nils Pratley

Trussonomics’ true cost will be austerity and spending cuts to fill the fiscal hole

‘Jeremy Hunt, in the course of a week as chancellor, has reversed two-thirds of Kwarteng’s tax measures.’
‘Jeremy Hunt, in the course of a week as chancellor, has reversed two-thirds of Kwarteng’s tax measures.’ Photograph: Henry Nicholls/Reuters

It was all a bad dream. That, at least, is one interpretation of markets’ view of Liz Truss’s short and chaotic premiership. The pound stood at $1.15 against the dollar when she took office 44 days ago and was $1.13 soon after her resignation – down a bit, but most things are against the US currency.

Over in the gilt market, the yield on 10-year government IOUs, the usual yardstick of the country’s medium-term cost of borrowing, is a shade under 4%, which doesn’t sound so bad when inflation is 10%, the rest of the world is laughing at your governing party and a clear-the-air general election could still be two years away.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.