Tax critics take 'glass half empty' approach, says Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak says he is fighting for what he believes in. Photo: DANIEL LILL/AFP

Critics highlight rising tax burden Rishi Sunak defended his record by saying the recent tax cuts were being replaced by a «glass half empty» approach.

The Prime Minister argued that his initial focus on reducing inflation before tax cuts echoed the approach taken by Margaret Thatcher when she was in power.

The comments are contained in an interview with the Spectator magazine, in which Mr Sunak denies he was «irritable», reports reading Jilly Cooper's new book and insists he was enjoying his office.

In last month's autumn announcement, the government cut workers' national insurance and announced a new business tax cut, making the «full spending» permanent.

It means the package of announcements delivered the biggest single tax cut of the financial year . an event that has occurred since the late 1980s, according to internal Treasury analysis.

However, the savings were also negligible due to a long-term stealth tax raid aimed at freezing the thresholds at which people start paying more in taxes, which helped stimulate overall tax increases. tax burden reaches 70-year high.

Asked whether he could actually campaign on the recent tax cuts even as the overall tax burden increases due to the freeze on the thresholds he advocates, Mr. n Sunak said he could.

The Prime Minister told The Spectator: “It really is a glass-half-empty way of looking at it. We must differentiate.

“Listen, why is the tax burden so high? That's because we had a once-in-a-century pandemic and we had a war in Ukraine, both of which required a huge government response.

“I think it's totally fine to say the government shouldn't have reacted to help everyone with their energy bills, the government shouldn't have reacted during Covid… If one person kept saying that all the time, totally fine.

“[But] no one did this, not a single person said that all this should not have been done. I made it very clear at the time that we had to do this, but let's be clear that there will be consequences and we will have to pay that money back, and yes, as a Thatcherite and really just a good Conservative, if you borrow money, it is so indeed. must be returned.

“The choice at the next election will be between me and Keir Starmer. The Labor Party, which wants to borrow £28 billion a year, has no intention of controlling social security or government spending. The Conservative Party are going to do the same thing — and cut your taxes instead.»

«There's nothing offensive»

Elsewhere in the interview, Sunak responded to claims that he can be «irritable» and this jibe , which in recent weeks has manifested itself in various forms in the form of political clashes.

The Prime Minister canceled a meeting with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek Prime Minister after the latter called for the return of the Elgin Marbles, was one example.

Mr Sunak is quoted as saying: «I don't understand it» , when asked if he was irritable before starting an argument. his election campaign against the Tories in the summer of 2022 showed the opposite.

Mr Sunak said: “It has been a difficult time for me and I have received a lot of criticism and criticism. But I just fought hard for what I believed in—every day, seven days a week for six weeks. Now I'm the same person, I fight for what I believe in.

“No offense. But I'm passionate. If things don't go the way I want, I will of course be upset.»

The Prime Minister also said he had no regrets about his pledge to stop small boat crossings, one of his five pledges to took office were made at the beginning of the year.

The number of small ships crossing the English Channel has fallen by a third this year, but is still high compared to the situation a few years ago.< /p>< p>Asked whether he regretted his promise, Mr Sunak said: “No, I think it's a simple phrase. Everyone knows what I wanted to do. Ultimately, I want to stop the boats because there is no sustainable amount of illegal immigration.”

He also said he was reading a signed copy of Jilly Cooper's latest novel, Tackle!, which he was. posted after the author discovered he was a fan.