Will the economy help Sunak at the next election?

A year of stagflation beckons but 2024 could see signs of economic recovery, says Sean O’Grady

High streets are being hammered by high inflation but Rishi Sunak may see the economic gloom lift next year (PA)

Downbeat economic data from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and ONS (Office for National Statistics) this week, and some cautious remarks from the Bank of England about the safety of bank deposits, have raised doubts about whether the UK economy is headed for recovery, and with it the electoral prospects of the Conservatives.

The question is how well Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt can align the electoral and economic cycles, and engineer a “boomlet” and tax cuts in time for polling day.

What’s the bad news?