Raising corporation tax would be an economic own-goal and a political calamity for Liz Truss
Trussed up
RAISING corporation tax would be a staggering U-turn, an economic own-goal and a political calamity for Liz Truss.
It is anti-growth, anti-investment and anti-jobs, all with a recession looming.
It would be another blow too for consumers, likely to end up funding it as those firms affected hike their prices.
The Sun railed against increasing this levy when Rishi Sunak unveiled it as Chancellor last year.
Systematically lowering it was one of the bedrocks of the jobs boom which proved the Tories’ crowning achievement from 2010, a near-miracle in that decade of austerity.
Truss was right to pledge to freeze it instead. That is not even a “tax cut” since Rishi’s rise is not yet in effect. The PM herself argued this week that increasing it could generate LESS money.
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It might regain her some credibility with the City. But she will have torched the key plank of her leadership pitch: that she would be low-tax Liz.
We do accept, though, that her predicament looks impossible. After the mini Budget fiasco and the staggering fall in Tory poll ratings she is the prisoner of a party in open revolt, with MPs darkly plotting a leadership coup.
Except they cannot realistically impose another new PM on voters without a snap General Election, with Labour 30 points ahead. Such a lead, if borne out, would be disastrous for the Tories.
Their choice, then, is surely this:
Stop the plotting and stick with Truss . . . or gift Starmer power for a decade, and find a new line of work.
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Toxic force
ONLY now, under new leadership, is the scale of grotesque misogyny in the Met Police finally exposed.
Scandal has plagued the London force, most appallingly the murder of Sarah Everard by serving cop Wayne Couzens.
Ex-chief Cressida Dick just wanted to play it all down. She was as feeble as Bernard Hogan-Howe before her.
Now a unit set up to purge the Met has uncovered 600-plus sex and domestic abuse claims against officers.
New boss Mark Rowley must fire the guilty without hesitation.
Hand of wad
DIEGO Maradona was a genius and a cheat — facets blindingly clear to everyone who saw both his goals in that infamous 1986 World Cup match. Well, everyone but two.
Neither the referee nor linesman saw anything wrong with him blatantly punching the ball into our net.
The pain of it still rankles, even 36 years on. But not half as much as ref Ali Bin Nasser becoming a multi-millionaire flogging the match ball.
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His bungling wrecked England’s tournament. He has no right to cash in on it.
Have some respect, man. Put the ball back in your cupboard.