Tory MPs want to be able to pitch tax cuts to the public ahead of the next election, but Sunak would not consider it until the government fulfils its inflation objective.
Following two crushing by-election defeats this week, the Prime Minister is facing mounting pressure to lighten the burden on hard-pressed families.
To prevent Keir Starmer from getting the keys to Downing Street, Tory MPs want to be able to pitch tax cuts to the public ahead of the next General Election.
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick, a close political ally of Mr Sunak, stated, “We all want to cut taxes. Everyone wants lower taxes; as Conservatives, we believe in lower taxes as one of our central tenets.”
“But the first task has got to be bearing down on inflation because it’s ultimately inflation today and in the last couple of years since the pandemic which has been the great evil which has been eroding people’s savings and leading to mortgages rising.”
He added: “If we can get that under control” then “of course we will consider what more we should do” on taxes.
The Immigration minister insisted: “You can trust the Conservatives to make sensible, prudent decisions on the future of the economy and to bring down taxes where it is capable to do so.
“Look at the difference that we’ve seen in the last 12 months under Rishi Sunak, the fact that we have stabilised the economy, that it’s growing, that inflation is falling and on critical issues like immigration, were making significant progress for the first time in a long time.”
Labour overcame a Tory majority of 24,4664 in Mid Bedfordshire to win the seat for the first time and in Tamworth there was a 23.9 per cent swing to Labour from the Tories.
The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said he expected a “noticeable drop” in inflation when October’s figures are published next month.
Mr Bailey said he expects inflation to “keep coming down”, with a “marked fall” expected next month.