Chancellor Philip Hammond’s doom and gloom over Brexit needs to stop now

Hamm fisted

WE commend Dominic Raab for his ­brutally honest assessment of the ­positives and negatives of a No Deal Brexit. What a pity the Chancellor then saw fit to stick his Eey-ore in.

Brexit Secretary Mr Raab rightly rubbished the wilder scare stories and said most people wouldn’t even notice the impact of a so-called “hard Brexit”.

And he is convinced, like The Sun, that after a potential short-term wobble the country will be better off out.

But he was realistic too about banking problems for our expats — plus credit card charges rising and customs duties having to be paid on EU imports.

Why did Philip Hammond then issue a letter recycling the Treasury’s absurdly gloomy Project Fear predictions for 15 years’ time? Remainer sabotage? Or just another tone-deaf blunder?

Either way, he left the Government looking even more chaotic than usual.

Will No Deal happen? Consider this:

Britain has offered “unconditional” security cooperation with the EU post-Brexit. In response, Brussels vows to CHARGE us to access its databases.

They want capitulation, not a deal.

War on Press

JEREMY Corbyn’s sole motive in “changing the media” is to silence a hostile Press.

The giveaway was when he attacked broadcasters yesterday for following up Sun stories. “Just because it’s on the front page of The Sun or Mail doesn’t automatically make it news,” he whined.

Could this be because recent front pages have exposed Labour’s racism? That IS news, as page one stories in the two biggest daily papers tend to be.

Britain already has the world’s most vibrant media. Corbyn is feigning some high-minded interest in improving it. But the last thing he wants is it holding a future Labour Government to account.

He detests scrutiny, as his tantrums sparked by tricky questions prove.

As for his plan for a state-run Facebook rival, can you imagine anything more ridiculous or pointless?

The ­Austin Allegro of social media, making ­gargantuan losses for taxpayers?

And how about his “Netflix levy” to fund the BBC?

Is there no limit to the costs he wants to pile on ordinary people?

Low-tax Tories

NOW, by contrast, is the time for the Tories to CUT taxes.

There is depressing talk of a new hike to fund the NHS. But the public finances are in unexpectedly good shape, the deficit plummeting and growth on the up.

Corporation tax should be as low as Ireland’s, stamp duty slashed to get the housing market moving, fuel duty lowered, and income tax cut too.

With No Deal Brexit more likely, we need to boost the economy and lure investment with a low-tax regime as never before.