, Columnist
Rishi Sunak’s ‘Whatever It Takes’ Moment
The chancellor’s first budget must prioritize keeping the coronavirus from damaging the economy. Given Boris Johnson’s promises, that won’t be easy.
Rishi Sunak has an unenviable task.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Britain’s new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, hit the talk shows on Sunday to speak about everything except what will be in Wednesday’s budget. Even so, one thing was clear: It’s going to be a budget of two halves, as sports commentators like to say.
One half is delivering on a range of Conservative manifesto commitments, especially massive infrastructure spending to rebalance the economy from London and the south to the “left behind” regions of the north. The other will be dedicated to responding to the coronavirus outbreak.