Rishi Sunak scrambles to outgun Liz Truss on tax cuts in last-gasp bid to woo Tory members
RISHI Sunak is scrambling to outgun Liz Truss on tax cuts in a last-gasp bid to woo Tory members before voting starts today.
The leadership race underdog last night vowed to slash the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 16p by 2029 if he wins the keys to No10.
He hailed his plan as the biggest income tax cut since Margaret Thatcher as he desperately jockeyed to pinch votes as ballots start to land on Tory members’ doormats.
Mr Sunak’s latest pledge was quickly mauled as small fry by allies of Ms Truss, who has promised to cut taxes as soon as she takes over as PM.
In a swipe at his former boss, Treasury Chief Secretary Simon Clarke blasted: “Liz will cut taxes in seven weeks, not seven years.”
He added that families “cannot afford to wait” until 2029 when facing the “biggest cost of living crisis in decades”.
Mr Sunak had already pledged to shave 1p off income tax in 2024.
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Pollsters and bookies have Foreign Secretary Ms Truss as clear favourite as she storms true-blue Tories with a promise to reverse the former Chancellor’s National Insurance and Corporation Tax hikes.
Mr Sunak insisted his tax cuts were not a U-turn and continued to attack his opponent for “dishonesty”.
Team Truss shrugged off his pledge as more “flip flopping” after his U-turn on wiping VAT off energy bills.
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While activists have until September 2 to return their voting slips, both candidates are pushing to hoover up the early voters.
Mr Sunak blitzed local Tory clubs across the party’s shire heartlands yesterday in Winchester, Witney, the Cotswolds, Devizes and Salisbury.