The cuts to welfare benefits, otherwise known as desirable reforms to the welfare state, reinforce the impression that Labour is trying much too hard to overcome its negative perception as the “soft on welfare” party, and equally too hard not to repeat the mistakes of the Tory government of Liz Truss.

So despite its good intentions, Labour has done a series of things that it knows are out of character. To pay for its increase in defence spending, it raided the overseas aid budget again. It had already been lowered from 0.7 per cent of GDP to 0.5, and is now at 0.3 per cent.

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