Britain | Bagehot

The war on prices: British edition

Too often, politicians see prices as something to be fought

Illustration of Kier Starmer with a gin on his back and a metal helmet punching a pound sign
Illustration: Nate Kitch

Every few decades the American government declares war on a noun, and the British government meekly follows along. In the 1970s it was Richard Nixon’s war on drugs, which shaped British drug policy for a generation. In the 2000s it was George W. Bush’s war on terror, which the British government keenly joined. Now another war has come along: the “war on prices”.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “War on prices: British edition”

From the October 19th 2024 edition

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