Economics

Boris Johnson Accused of Spending for Votes, Not Fixing Economy

  • New premier announces pledges of about $2.4 billion a week
  • Spending review ahead of Brexit is risky plan, economists say
Boris JohnsonPhotographer: Will Oliver/Pool via Bloomberg
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Since becoming U.K. prime minister less than three weeks ago, Boris Johnson has announced spending pledges at a rate of about 2 billion pounds ($2.4 billion) per week, fueling speculation he’s planning for an early election.

Johnson on Sunday said he would spend as much as 2.5 billion pounds on prisons as part of his promise to crackdown on crime. That follows a 1.8 billion pound cash boost for the National Health Service and a 2.1 billion pound allocation for no-deal Brexit preparations.