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Michael Gove has called for a tax cut before the next general election – putting him at odds with the chancellor on the first day of Conservative Party conference.
Jeremy Hunt told The Times newspaper on Saturday the government was “not in a position to talk about tax cuts at all”, and needed to focus on getting to a place in the economy where ministers could “credibly” offer reductions before making offers to voters.
Politics hub: Tory conference kicks off in Manchester
But speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the levelling up secretary said he would “like to see the tax burden reduced by the next election”.
Mr Gove said he wanted the cuts fall on work to “incentivise people to work harder”, adding: “We should make sure that [workers] are better rewarded for the enterprise, effort and endeavour they put in.”
Asked about his remarks by reporters, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We are all Conservatives, of course I want to cut taxes [but] the best tax cut I can deliver right now for the country is to halve inflation.
“It is inflation that is putting the prices of things up, inflation impacting the cost of living, inflation eating into people’s savings, their bank accounts, their wallets.
“And that’s why the first of my priorities is to bring inflation down – to halve it – and I am pleased we are making progress.”
Defending his approach after being pushed on the fact inflation is not actually a tax, he cited Tory grandees Margaret Thatcher and Nigel Lawson, saying it was “the tradition of the great Conservative governments [to bring] inflation down because that is the bedrock on which you build a strong economy and the best way to help people with the cost of living”.
Mr Sunak added: “I know things are still tough but the last few months of data should give us…
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