Hunt’s budget may be economic fantasy, but he’s set a political trap for Labour | Rafael Behr

Rishi Sunak's small-state ideology misjudges the needs of the economy and the mood of the country

Another week, another front opens in the Conservative party's multipronged campaign against facts. In Wednesday's autumn statement, Jeremy Hunt will chart the hard economic road ahead and claim it is the path to prosperity. He will celebrate stagnation by branding it stability. He will claim credit for falling inflation, which is largely beyond the government's control (as ministers were eager to explain when the rate was rising).

The chancellor will cut taxes in the hope of synthesising a taste of good times before the next election, making it harder to balance the books after polling day. He will boast that this is responsible fiscal management. Policies drafted with an eye on the following morning's headlines will be advertised as a long-term plan.