Yes I agree that the 2017 election scrambled assumptions about policy without leading to adequate reflection.

I am also extremely impatient with this story. We are in an intensely contentious moment in economic politics, with major policy decisions being made or swerved with material impacts on people's lives. It is frankly a bit contemptuous that lobby journalists cannot keep their eye on the ball.

Yes it is difficult to talk about policy when it became omerta to talk frankly about manifest logical incoherence (e.g. the case of the Irish border) without having to both-sides it somehow.

I completely agree with your basic point here.

Out of curiosity, what changed in 2017? The May collapse?

For some further reading on this dynamic

bsky.app/profile/colm...

There should be another piece by me in the IPPR on this soon, more directly about this government.

And apologies, re sharing with alt text

I'm comparing to a few months ago, not the leak around the time of the income tax reversal.

I meant headroom but obviously these things are super connected!