Accomodation Costs

Later today, Shabana Mahmood will announce that asylum seekers were to pay back their accomodation costs out of their benefits. Take as long as you need. Although this is the kind of doolally policy that the Blair and Brown Governments used to throw up all the time, it will no doubt be claimed by Reform UK as a sign that Labour was running scared. There may even be some truth in that.

But scared of whom? Of Nigel Farage, whose financial arrangements have come close to sending him into hiding? Of Richard Tice, who sees Andy Burnham's Number 10 North and raises him Number 11 Dubai? Of Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, who granted Hadi Alodid's indefinite leave to remain? Or of Zia Yusuf, officially a less acceptable parliamentary candidate than a man who had publicly expressed the desire to smell and lick the backside of Carol Vorderman?

Nor is that the only misplaced fear. Where else does anyone mention the bond markets very much, if at all, never mind give them a veto over the appointment of the First and Second Lords of the Treasury? The intentional running down of manufacturing and heavy industry in favour of financial services was obviously unnecessary, since Britain used to be world class at both. So no, the City is not keeping the rest of us out of the goodness of its heart. And no, we are not grateful.