Ask Siri, John

In Labour’s world, there is such a thing as a free lunch. In fact, it pays for itself. That’s what the shadow chancellor, John Mcdonnell, said in a BBC interview about his plans to borrow cash to finance infrastructure. He had his avuncular voice on, until things turned nasty and he called the questioning “trite”. Mr Mcdonnell’s mask does slip from time to time – such as when he demanded to know if another interviewer, who dared ask him to name an asset manager who backs his nationalisation agenda, doubted his “honesty”. But then, this is the politician who joked about killing Margaret Thatcher – twice.

Mr Mcdonnell’s insistence that Britain can just borrow, spend and reap the benefits from new jobs forgets that the only way interest rates can go is up, that we already have full employment and that Britain has spent the past few years trying to dig itself out of its deep deficits. Likewise, Jeremy Corbyn attacked the Government in the Commons this week for failing to reduce the deficit and yet, in the very next sentence, denounced austerity. But it was sky-high spending that necessitated austerity and only free-market, Conservative economics will generate sufficient real, businessoriented growth to turn the country around.

Labour, however, wraps itself proudly in ignorance. Mr Mcdonnell does not deal in precise figures, he said in his car-crash interview: “That’s why we have ipads, and that’s why I have advisers.” The idea that the shadow chancellor might plan his economic forecasts by asking Siri, the ipad’s automated personal assistant, for help is laughable, but betrays a sinister threat should these socialist dinosaurs get back in government.

Old Labour, old danger.