06 March 2024 , 20:32
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Suella Braverman has blasted Jeremy Hunt's budget - saying it won't convince voters the Tories are on their side.
The sacked former Home Secretary claimed the financial plan "lacked something vivid" and doesn't " tell the British people that we're on their side and that work really pays". And in a scathing attack on Mr Sunak, she said she'd urged the PM to "change course" as the tax system isn't working.
Ms Braverman had earlier told the Commons that ministers should have cut income tax to help a "broader range of taxpayer". She swerved repeated questions on whether she backs the PM going into the next election - refusing to rule out a future leadership campaign. Ms Braverman went on: " Ultimately at the moment it looks like we're in a dire position. It looks like some very good Tory MP are going to lose their seats."
She brushed off Sky News host Sophy Ridge's suggestion that she wants to lead the party, saying there's no vacancy "at the moment" and adding: "I'm not going to speculate on what might happen in the future."
But confronted about her massive unpopularity, with YouGov polling showing her -35 approval rating is even worse than Mr Sunak's, she said: "Ultimately personalities are kind of irrelevant. This is about the British people.
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"This is about how much tax they're paying - we've got pensioners whose income tax has gone up over the last few years. As I said, we've got people who are choosing to work fewer hours and to not take the promotion and not work harder or longer because the tax system that we are delivering doesn't serve them."
She made it clear she believes Mr Sunak is leading the party to electoral oblivion, stating: " I've been very clear over the last few months about what our prospects look like at the moment, and they don't look good. Every day there's a new poll every day confirming my worst fears, that that being that Labour is on the brink of assuming power."
Earlier Ms Braverman, who represents Fareham, told the Budget debate in the Commons: "My preference would have been a 2p cut off the basic rate of income tax and an increase in the personal allowance and a raising of the income tax threshold - to properly fix a tax regime which has become, I'm sad to say, a disincentive to work and endeavour in too many cases.
"The cut of 2p off the basic rate and the increase in personal allowance, say from £12,500 where it currently stands to £20,000 or even something like £15,000 or £16,000, would have helped poorer households and lifted about 20% of all taxpayers out of tax altogether.
"Cutting income tax rather than national insurance helps a broader range of taxpayer, including workers, savers and pensioners." Mrs Braverman added: "I do regret that income tax was not chosen as the tax to cut today over national insurance because pensioners have lost out as a result."
Ms Braverman also claimed the Government "spent too much" during the Covid-19 pandemic, saying: "With the benefit of hindsight - and not absolving myself of any responsibility because I sat in cabinet at the time of these discussions - was that actually we did spend too much, we did lockdown too soon and too hard, and we did shut schools down in a way that was harmful, rather than helpful."