A Budget that talks about London is well overdue

A WHOLE succession of Conservative chancellors - and there have been a few have literally written London out of the script in recent Budget speeches and other set-piece fiscal events.

- Jonathan Prynn 

Since the 2019 election win-delivered to Boris Johnson by the Brexit-voting former Red Wall voters of the likes of Bolsover, Wakefield and, yes, Tony Blair's former redoubt of Sedgefield - London has become the-city-that-must-not-be-named in the highest echelons of government.

Politically it is easy to understand why. There is almost nothing left for the Tories, particularly in central London.

Economically it makes far less sense. According to a report from the House of Commons library, London's half-atrillion pound economy - more than the GDP of Belgium or Argentina - will grow at a forecast average of 1.5 per cent over the next decade. Not good enough, but a long way ahead of any other region. If the UK is ever to find a way out of the economic morass it is stuck in, the escape will be led by London.