Budget Season, Housing Scandals & Populist Snapbacks

Joseph’s in a bad mood. Andrew’s six minutes late. Holly’s podcasting from a cow-filled Cumbrian farm. And somehow, this chaotic start perfectly mirrors the week in politics we’re about to unpack.

In this week’s Issue Scan, we tackle three big stories⸻

💸 1. Carney’s Budget of Austerity (Without Saying “Austerity”)

We preview Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first federal budget, which the Liberals are billing as transformational — but may look a lot like a cutback budget with better PR.

• Spending cuts to government operations

• Big promises on defense, trade and climate

• An electorate with zero patience and plummeting expectations

“It’s starting to feel like Canadians don’t want change — they want certainty.”

We debate:

• Is this a red-tinted version of David Cameron’s ‘Age of Austerity’?

• Will progressive voters tolerate fiscal discipline?

• And what happens if the elbow-throwing on trade still doesn’t land a deal with Trump?

🏘 2. Rachel Reeves’ Rental Row: A Crisis of DetailThe UK Chancellor has a problem: two letters, one missed license, and a husband who didn’t “sort it.”

We break down:

• The timeline of the scandal

• What it reveals about Labour’s growing housing PR headache

• And why this is more than just “admin error”

Lipstick on a Gerbil Score: 🧴

1 coat — “She said she took responsibility. But mostly blamed everyone else.”“If this were a Tory, Labour would have eaten them alive. But now? Just more letters on Starmer’s desk.”

🇳🇱 3. Dutch Election Surprise: Populists Rejected?

Andrew brings us a European update as the Dutch electorate gives populism a timeout — rejecting Geert Wilders and rewarding centrist parties.

• What went wrong for the populists this time?

• Is this a snapback to the centre or a one-off?

• And what could it mean for Farage-style politics elsewhere?

Populists won power, disappointed voters, and got punished. So what comes next?”