The innocence of that summer is touching to recall now. In a far-off past called 2024, when Britain elected a Labour government, optimists made the bull case for the country. Emmanuel Macron had budget troubles in France and Germany a recession, so the UK struck them as a relative haven. (As though there were three countries on Earth to invest in.) Instead of constant Tory paranoia about a bond market revolt, there would be people in charge willing at last to borrow to spend. (There soon followed a bond market revolt.) “Britain is back, and the world wants a piece” is one of the headlines that have aged like milk.
現在回想那個夏天的純真令人感動。那是在遙遠的過去,也就是2024年,英國選出工黨政府後,樂觀主義者做出了看好英國的預測。艾曼紐•馬克宏(Emmanuel Macron)的法國深陷預算麻煩,而德國遭遇經濟衰退,因此在他們看來英國是一個相對的避風港。(彷彿地球上只有三個國家可以投資。)不再有一個保守黨政府一直擔心債券市場出亂子,即將掌權的工黨將會願意借錢支出。(結果債券市場很快出了亂子。)「英國回來了,而世界想要分一杯羹」這一新聞標題已經像牛奶一樣很快過期。