Robert Jenrick, in his first major speech as Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, said he wanted to approach his brief as a “reassuring revolutionary”.
It might seem contradictory, but to the former senior Tory, it is complementary.
Politics latest: Reform would bring back two-child benefit cap
Giving his speech in the City of London, Mr Jenrick did his utmost to take the best of the old – the reverence for fiscal prudence represented by his past as a Tory minister – and merge it with the new.
The old looks like maintaining the Office for Budget Responsibility, which sets economic forecasts, and the independence of the Bank of England, thereby soothing the markets which went into meltdown following the Liz Truss mini budget.
The new, represented by Reform UK, is characterised by the desire to shake things up: whether that be by ripping up the Equality Act, passing emergency legislation for Heathrow’s third runway and other major transport projects, and slashing the benefits bill in a way no other party has achieved.
Critics will question whether achieving both is possible.
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Ms Truss – the former Tory prime minister who Mr Jenrick has done much to try to distance himself from despite serving in her government – wanted to achieve a radical economic agenda of tax cuts and spending pledges, and the markets punished her for it.
Mr Jenrick seems to think he can avoid that fate, by issuing warm words about never playing “fast and loose” with the public finances and promising a crackdown on welfare.
But already Reform is slipping into the trap that is bedevilling his rival parties: disagreements and U-turns.
How can Reform claim to be fiscally responsible when on the first day with his new title, Mr Jenrick announces a U-turn, and quietly admits that Nigel Farage “drew a line” under his promised tax cuts – all £90bn of them?
First the party wanted to scrap the two-child cap to encourage people to have more children, then the stance was to abolish the cap for British people in work only, and now the cap is reinstated for everyone.
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There were also signs of possible disagreement on the pensions triple lock, with Mr Jenrick saying there would be an announcement coming but he had always supported it and “we’re always going to protect pensioners”.
Moments later, Reform leader Mr Farage spoke to the press when the lights went down, reportedly telling journalists that the party was not committed to the triple lock at this stage.
“It’s open for debate,” he said. “Everything is open for debate.”
At the moment, Reform is still deciding its precise stance on a whole host of policy issues – which, as a party of opposition, it can just about get away with.
But if Reform is serious about projecting credibility, it needs to be more consistent and ensure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
