Growth is the defining mission of this government. It is the only way to deliver our Plan for Change and put more money in people’s pockets. The only cure for the sickness of stagnation and decline.

We should be confident about Britain’s prospects. Inflation is falling. Wages are growing at their fastest rate for three years. More than 70,000 jobs have been created since July. The UK was voted the second most attractive destination for private investment. We are on track to be the fastest-growing major economy in Europe — that is what leading agencies like the International Monetary Fund predict.

But as the chancellor will set out in her speech on Wednesday, we can go further and faster. Because there is a morass of