Legend has it that the emperor amused himself by playing the cithara – a stringed instrument – while the city was engulfed in flames and half its population was made homeless.
Critics of our outgoing Prime Minister are now levelling a similar charge at him: that he has been focused on a big party to celebrate his marriage and then going on holiday in the face of a looming economic disaster for the British people.
On the basic facts they are right. Further energy price rises of around £2,000 per household are set to cause devastating hardship for millions while plunging the economy into recession for more than a year. The PM has announced no radical plan to tackle this.
But that is hardly his fault. It is those who forced his removal that have disabled the public realm at this crucial time. The PM is actually now working to a remit that precludes him from announcing substantial or costly new policies before he steps down in a month’s time.
Yet this does not mean nothing can be done in Whitehall before a new PM takes office. In fact, what we are facing is so worrying that government departments should already be on a war footing.
This story is from the August 06, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
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This story is from the August 06, 2022 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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