Austerity isn’t pruning; it’s scorched earth.

Plus: Lead Untangles considers the benefit cuts announced + Zoe goes back to school and discovers what life is like for 14-year-old girls right now

Rachel Reeves at a recent International Women’s Day event Pic: Number 10/UK Prime Minister Flickr

Here’s the thing about austerity: you can only do it once.

It’s not like cutting grass or pruning hedges. You can’t trim back the state and expect it to grow back, fuller and stronger, next spring. Once you start, things unravel quickly. If you cut the NHS, a…