Most of the commentary around the next budget has been along the following lines: What will Chancellor Sajid Javid deliver for the regions?
“The regions” being what London journalists call the rest of the country.
Javid to “focus on north and Midlands” says today’s FT, which has heard of the Midlands but rarely visited.
So a tip of the hat to Matthew Lynn of the Daily Telegraph, who today has this arresting headline: “Let’s scrap HS2 and spend the cash on London and the South East.”
Since that’s the exact opposite of what everyone else is suggesting, it caught the eye. It is intentionally mischievous.
I don’t know Mr Lynn but suspect he has no need of flak interference when he’s writing his columns. That’s sort of my point.
Most of what we get offered in terms of quotes or op-ed ideas fits squarely with the status quo, aping present narratives.
You might do better if you were willing to say, forget everything else you have read, here is what we should really do…