OPINION - The Standard View: Economy is on the up – but not fast enough for the Conservatives

What might have been a curtain call for the Government, with inflation falling to 2.3 per cent, was instead greeted with a sharp intake of breath. The markets were hoping for better, with a consensus forming around 2.1 per cent. As a result, a June interest rate cut now appears less, not more likely. Meanwhile, voters, still paying the consequences of double-digit price rises and higher mortgage repayments, do not yet seem in the mood to give thanks.