Jeremy Hunt is the latest viral sensation (doesn’t he have a job to do?)

Jeremy Hunt, nominal Chancellor for the Exchequer, was last seen in public after nearly four prime ministers had been removed and 25 economic crises had passed. And what better way to do that than by heading to the work canteen to shoot a video showing how unimaginably everything has been banned, by building a big tower out of single-use coffee cups — things that not long ago his government was trying to ban.

It is, arguably, the third most popular viral outbreak in Johnson years (after Covid). And that fridge he hid in(The staffer who bent down at the Conservative Party conference and took a cup from his hand as he walked in, was )

How times have changed. A chancellor can now take a few minutes out of his busy day to make a big pile of it in order to make a funny video on inflation that makes no sense.

You might think, wouldn’t you? That the Secretary of Treasury might have noticed the world is full of explainers What exactly is inflation?Given the colossal inflationary crisis that has dominated news for nearly a year, and the fact that it’s not really his responsibility to deliver another one – at least not by some margin, the worse yet (more on this shortly – but you get the idea), An act There is nothing to it.

We know very well at the outset that in the last year the price of a cup of coffee has gone up from £2.50 to £3, a statement which – as it was from a quite illustrative context – means nothing at all. The cost of a cup coffee is equivalent to the cost of a car, or jeans. I sips a cup of coffee that costs around 8p. Tomorrow morning, I will be drinking one that costs you a pound. And the price of a cup of coffee where Jeremy Hunt shoots his video, much like the subsidized canteen at HM Treasury, has never been £2.50 and certainly not £3 now.

What are the causes of this sudden increase in prices To make it more understandable, a Treasury staff member (or Hunt himself) made some fun cartoons depicting all the major crises worldwide. First came a macchiato, then a cortado which depicted Putin’s war in Ukraine. Then came a little shot with foamy milk to represent energy prices.

That is why journalists are better at explaining economic issues than ministers of government.

I have seen the video eight more times. Hunt isn’t likely to reach for a 42-ounce 1,400 calorie Triple Caramel Macchiato, even with extra whipped cream. “Liz Truss and Her Totally Bungled Budget”.

This doesn’t measure up to HM Treasury’s Styrofoam Tower. He doesn’t gather them all at once and instead puts them in a large 30L coffee jar marked with “Britain’s exit from the European Union“.

Hunt couldn’t find a cup big enough to write “leave single market and customs Union no one ever voted”. This isn’t his fault. This cup may not be available.

Things get more ridiculous at this point. As we now know Hunt is the main character in the movie and he will tell us everything that the government actually does to reduce inflation. At this point, the viewer expects the counselor to return from his grand Latte Doblo Project and start to remove the disturbing elements. Putin’s War – Get rid of it. Covid – no worries.

Instead, we learned, the chancellor would return the cup of coffee I imagined from three to £2.50 by “investing so much money in nuclear and renewable energy that our prices will not be at the whims of the international gas markets”.

It is not, in fact, absolute and complete. This is because a. it takes more than a ten-year for any investment in nuclear power to get anywhere; and b. the price that the national grid pays for electricity from renewable sources is still determined by the international wholesale gas prices. This is how the market works, and neither Jeremy Hunt nor his boss have done anything about this.

The majority of things The government is doing to cut inflation in halfShe accidentally explains, to be performed in another way. The Bank of England is independent since 1995. The inflation target, which is set by the government, is the only thing the Bank of England cannot control. It raises interest rates, purchases gold bonds, and does everything possible to reach that goal. Even if it drops below 5 percent, which you already predicted, it will still hit the target. Sunak and Hunt’s goal is to halve inflationSo they can then sweep it all up and get credit.

It’s January. It’s January. If you want to really understand what Jeremy Hunt is doing you just need to raise your right hand and form an imaginary cup. Then, hold your pinky up to your lips and take a long, slow sip of nothing. . It’s free, and it’s good to you – although your blood pressure may not be as good.