Government vision

The expectation that the first 100 days of an administration will determine the rest of its lifespan is something of a contrivance. America’s Franklin Roosevelt first used the 100day gambit to persuade voters he was the president with the required energy and decisiveness to tackle the Great Depression. Later, President John F Kennedy deployed it to great effect.

Since then, “the first 100 days” has become the yardstick by which to measure presidential effectiveness and has crept over here. Rishi Sunak, perhaps sensibly, did not set out a programme for his first 100 days, which will be completed this week. But neither has he done a great deal that points to where his Government goes next. The five pledges set out in his New Year speech set benchmarks by which he wishes to be judged, but these did not amount to a programme for the next two years and beyond.

After the turmoil of 2022, Mr Sunak was keen to demonstrate a steady hand on the tiller, a return to Conservative competence and pragmatism. But such factors, while virtuous, are never enough. He needs to paint a picture of the sort of country he wishes to see.

To many, the Government seems to be in thrall to more public spending, higher taxes and is reluctant to stand up to totalitarian activists claiming to represent a tiny minority against the majority. The danger with such political vacuums is that they are eventually filled by events which seek to create their own narrative, like seatbelt fines and unpaid taxes. The next 100 days – which will include a Budget and the planning for a King’s Speech in the autumn – need to be much more inspiring than the last.