The British state is large – and it is getting larger. That is troubling. Even if one could set aside the cost of the current crisis, it would be unsustainable. Long-term trends are moving against the country. The UK faces painful choices about the role and size of its state.

Over the past three decades, the British exchequer benefited from a series of tax-and-spend tailwinds that allowed the country to have an easy ride, enjoying public service improvements without needing matching increases in tax rates.