LIZ Truss’s pledge to bring forward tax cuts to October from April are today savaged by rival Rishi Sunak.
The Tory leadership favourite wants an emergency Budget in September to scrap his 1.25 per cent National Insurance rise.
Liz Truss’s pledge to bring forward tax cuts to October from April are today savaged by rival Rishi Sunak[/caption]
Rishi Sunak says Truss’s plans won’t ‘touch the sides’ in helping families tackle the cost of living crisis[/caption]
She plans to suspend the green levy on energy bills and called for major reforms.
But hitting back in The Sun Mr Sunak says her plans won’t “touch the sides” in helping families tackle the cost of living crisis.
And he says scrapping the health and social care levy would only save someone on the Living Wage £59 a year, and a median earner £170.
He accuses Ms Truss of “starry-eyed boosterism” with claims a downturn can be seen off.
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Her camp hit back, with an ally branding him the “founding father of a recession”.
The ally added: “The way to support people is through having a low tax, high wage, high growth economy. Rishi has done the opposite.”
On more direct support for households, Ms Truss said: “I will look at what more can be done, and I would do so in a Conservative way.
“We would put more money back in the pockets of hard-working people without delay.
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“That is necessary, affordable and the right thing to do at a time when we face the highest tax burden in 70 years.”
Ex-Chancellor Mr Sunak has also leapt on claims Ms Truss had ruled out more handouts to tackle soaring energy bills.
All households will get £400 off them this year, with the neediest in line for £1,200.
Trade minister Penny Mordaunt denied Ms Truss was ruling out the payments, saying it was a misinterpretation.
Ms Mordaunt added: “What she is looking at is enabling people to keep more of their money.”
