Rishi Sunak is plotting a general election next autumn following the unveiling of tax cuts and an increase in the national living wage, it has been revealed.
The prime minister’s allies have rejected claims that he will go “early” and take the country to the polls in May 2024.
This is because he wants to allow his efforts to raise people’s incomes to “fall asleep” ahead of an election campaign, they said.
Mr Sunak is reportedly considering a reduction in the general income tax rate and an increase in the national living wage – from £10.42 to £11.16 per hour or more – in April.
This is believed to help voters feel they are recovering from the cost-of-living crisis before making their choice at the polls in the fall of 2024.
The Prime Minister’s hopes of overthrowing Labour’s lead by the time of the next election have been bolstered by new research showing a narrowing between the Tories and Sir Keir Starmer’s party.
A poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies conducted on Easter Sunday showed Labour’s lead cut to 14 per cent – the smallest lead for Sir Keir since Sunak became prime minister.
Labor was supported by 44 per cent of voters, the Tories at 30 per cent and the Liberal Democrats at 10 per cent.
The prime minister’s allies have rejected claims that he will “go early” and take the country to the polls in May 2024.
A poll by Redfield & Wilton Strategies conducted on Easter Sunday showed Labour’s lead cut to 14 per cent – the smallest lead for Sir Keir Starmer since Rishi Sunak became prime minister
Labor was supported by 44 per cent of voters, the Tories at 30 per cent and the Liberal Democrats at 10 per cent.
Labor to launch another attack on Rishi Sunak by accusing his family of taking advantage of loopholes as they raise taxes for working people
Labor is today launching another attack on Rishi Sunak, accusing him of levying taxes on working people while his family took advantage of a loophole.
Despite growing backlash against the ‘gutter politics’ of their recent ad campaign, Labor is digging in by publishing a poster criticizing the Conservatives over tax policy.
Labor sparked outrage last week when it shared an image on Twitter suggesting Sunak does not believe adults convicted of child sexual abuse should go to prison.
It was condemned across the political spectrum – with a host of senior Labor figures urging the party to abolish it. But Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer told the Mail he stands by “every word”.
It has since sparked allegations of hypocrisy when it emerged that Sir Keir attended 21 meetings to help draft sentencing guidelines that would allow convicted pedophiles to avoid prison – before Mr Sunak became an MP.
According to The timesChancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering announcing an income tax cut in his fall statement this year, which would then take effect in April 2024.
This could also coincide with a rise in the national living wage next spring, as ministers are said to be plans to lower the age limit for the living wage from 23 to 21 years.
This could lead to the wages of those affected rising by almost 10 percent in a year.
A senior government source told the newspaper: “It’s about people feeling they have more money in their pocket by the time we get to the next election.”
An ally of the prime minister rejected the prospect of Sunak announcing elections before the summer of next year.
“There’s a major fiscal event coming up in the spring of next year, and we need time to embed that in,” they said.
Sunak has until January 2025 to call a general election.
The Daily Telegraph also reported that Mr Sunak plans a general election in autumn next year – rather than spring 2024 – with October and November as tentative dates.
This would give Mr Sunak two years as prime minister before voting, while also giving him more time to fulfill his pledge to ‘stop the boats crossing the Channel’.
Paul Johnson, head of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, said Britain is unlikely to feel much better off financially next spring.
“In a way it will look better. Inflation will be a lot better than it is now. Wages may be rising faster than prices, he said.
“But I don’t think people are going to feel terribly excited. We will have seen quite large declines in real incomes this year and last year.
“Next spring they will probably still be lower than they were two or three years ago.”
Polling expert Sir John Curtice agreed that Sunak is looking to autumn next year for a general election.
“I’ve long believed that October or November next year should be the most likely date,” he told GB News.
By continuing as long as possible, the Conservatives maximize their chances of political recovery.
“The PM will only go early if there’s a fairly dramatic turn in the polls by spring next year that makes him think he might have a shot at winning.”
The Liberal Democrats today pointed to new research showing that the average income for a full-time worker rose from £27,493 in 2021 to £26,038 last year, after income tax and national insurance were withheld and wages adjusted for rising inflation.
An estimated 3.5 million people in the UK are expected to be pushed into a higher tax bracket in 2023-2024 as a result of Mr Hunt’s freezing of income tax thresholds.
Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney, the party’s Treasury spokesman, said: “British workers are seeing their wages squeezed by a secret tax raid at a time when millions are already feeling the pinch.”
