‘Scrooge’ Sunak could spoil the party for Boris Johnson

The prime minister's expansive vision for Britain faces many hurdles, the most awkward of which is his chancellor

Boris Johnson must wish he owned a time machine to transport him beyond what is shaping up to be one of the most difficult autumns faced by any prime minister. Events in October and November are about to set the tone for the rest of the parliament and the premiership of our once brazen, and now rather bedraggled, PM.

The list of promises that will transform the UK into a 21st-century economic powerhouse are long and costly, and most of them are tied closely to Johnson's personal ambitions. He has told us that his government will transform the education system, the skills base and the social care system, and level up" the regions. Backlogs of NHS operations will be cleared and the path to net zero carbon emissions charted.

There is an increasing likelihood Johnson will find himself forced to defend high profile cuts, such as the important high speed rail link from Birmingham to Leeds