Victorian economics and the politics of the workhouse return to heart of government

 
Commenting on the appointment of Sajid Javid as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Liberal Democrats Treasury & Business spokesperson Chuka Umunna said:
 
“By handing Sajid Javid the reigns of the economy, it is clear that Boris Johnson is choosing a Chancellor for the top 1%.
 
“In the Tory leadership race – where he called his new PM ‘yesterday’s news’ – Sajid Javid campaigned to give more money to the rich by scrapping the top band of income tax and to give large firms a big tax cut which business groups haven’t even been asking for. Meanwhile, middle and lower-income families continue to feel the squeeze. 
 
“His record as Business Secretary and failure to step up to the plate when the steel industry needed him to, illustrates his reluctance to engage in the industrial activism business wants to see. Above all, he is sponsoring a policy of leaving the EU without a deal which the overwhelming majority of businesses strongly oppose. This does not bode well for our different business sectors as he takes charge at the Treasury.”
 
Commenting on the appointment of Liz Truss, Dominic Rabb and Priti Patel to Cabinet, Chuka said: 
 
“It is deeply alarming that these Ministers have been appointed to the heart of government given their archaic views on British workers which represent a return to the cruel politics of the workhouse.
 
“People will not forget they co-wrote a book claiming that ‘once they enter the workplace, the British are among the worst idlers in the world’ and that British workers ‘need to work for longer.’ 
 
“British workers already work amongst the longest hours in Europe – instead of lecturing hard working people, they should focus on ensuring that if people put in the graft they see the rewards which is simply not the case in Britain under the Tories.”