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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
John Crace

With Kemi’s new shadow chancellor, the Tories must hope for a bout of public amnesia

Andrew Griffith gestures with open arms in a room with plumbing pipes and pressure gauges
‘Looking like you’ve been locked in the boiler room by the college principal isn’t the best of looks.’ Andrew Griffith delivering a speech at Capital City College Group in London. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

On days like this, it’s not hard to be overwhelmed by existential futility. At the current rate of progress, the UK looks on course to wipe itself out far sooner than it would with any interference from AI. Everything feels hopeless. Years of minimal growth and a cost of living crisis. The tech bros and the bankers may be getting richer. The rest of us? Not so much.

And there’s no end in sight. Andy Burnham may offer better vibes, but he is fighting a losing battle against global forces – wars, energy prices, borrowing costs – that he can’t control. You can feel the hope drain out of him as each day passes. Mr Congeniality is not quite so congenial as he once was. All the economic forecasts suggest things are going to get even worse in the next year.

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