The Government is locked in a doom loop and destroying its own credibility.

Within hours of apologising to Wes Streeting for the briefing against him, Sir Keir Starmer announced he had been “assured” the said briefing never came from No 10. In the process he took a leaf out of the Trumpian fake news playbook, implying that some of the most senior journalists in Westminster must be liars.

Today, having spent weeks “rolling the pitch” for increases in income tax – in the national interest albeit breaking a solemn election manifesto promise – Rachel Reeves has slyly called off the game , according to the data she is legally obliged to give the OBR in preparation for her Budget on Wednesday week.

Instead of having the confidence to impose what Paul Johnson, former head of the IFS

See Full Page