Tory chairman teases two tax-cutting announcements this year to keep MPs on-side
The Tory party chairman has hinted at two tax-cutting financial announcements this year, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak battles to keep his MPs on-side amid fears he will lead them to defeat.
Richard Holden mentioned tax cuts in the March 6 Budget and added that there will be "more of that later in the year as well" after a tough week for the Prime Minister. With the Conservatives lagging behind Labour in the polls by 20 points, ex-Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke warned they risk being electorally "massacred" if they don't oust Mr Sunak.
Will Dry, a former aide who conducted polling in No 10, said the country is "on course for at least a decade of Labour rule" as it was revealed he had joined a rebel plot to topple the PM. Mr Holden insisted the polls "can move quite rapidly" as he tried to reassure the party by promising popular tax cuts.
He told GB News: "What we are now in is a situation where we are coming out of that very tough period, and we're able to outline our plans for the future. And I think the actual tax cut you mentioned the national insurance cut for working people is the start of that." "We'll see more of that in March, and more of that later in the year as well. We have that new direction of travel, which is clear."
It wasn't clear from his comments whether the second fiscal event would be before or after the election, with the power to trigger a vote being down to the Prime Minister. Mr Sunak has hinted that he expects to hold the election in the latter half of this year. This comes amidst a storm for the Tory leader, sparked by an opinion poll suggesting a potential landslide defeat similar to 1997.
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Tory peer Lord David Frost used the YouGov research to warn that the Conservatives are "going to lose, and lose bad, unless we do something about it". The former Cabinet minister was listed as the contact on the poll, which was commissioned by a group known as the Conservative Britain Alliance.
The Times first reported that Lord Frost could face losing the Conservative whip for refusing to disclose who funded the poll. He was reportedly surprised by the persistent questioning from the Conservative leader of the Lords, Lord True.
It's believed that Lord Frost was warned he could lose the whip if he had collaborated with another party, following questions about whether Reform UK provided the funds. A source close to the peer stated: "I can confirm the meeting took place but Lord Frost, even on background, won't reveal the content of a private meeting. It's not his style."
In other news, senior Tory backbenchers including Harriet Baldwin have reportedly called for a change in party rules to secure Mr Sunak's position. At present, 15% of Conservative MPs currently 53 need to send letters to the 1922 Committee of backbenchers to trigger a vote of no confidence.
There's chatter that MPs might need to double their numbers to show they're unhappy, with 175 needed to speak up. Ms Baldwin, who leads the Commons Treasury Committee, didn't say no to this. She said: "Call me old-fashioned, but I like to adhere to the privacy and discretion of the 1922 Committee as a forum for backbench colleagues to raise discussion points about topical matters."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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