How the ‘unforced error’ of austerity wrecked Britain

The Tories' cuts were an obvious economic blunder, but their disastrous consequences are still piling up - and there is little hope Labour will reverse the damage

Unless the polls are wildly inaccurate, the Conservative party is heading towards a catastrophic defeat in the coming election.

All across the rich world, voters are angry at their governments - they blame politicians for a burst of inflation that happened almost everywhere and is now subsiding almost everywhere, including in the UK. But the Conservatives deserve defeat more than most: they took power 14 years ago promising to deliver responsible policies and economic success. Instead they have presided over economic stagnation and a collapse in public services.