FINANCE MINISTER Hunt poured cold water on growing calls for tax cuts within the Tory party on Monday (2), saying he could not commit to any "inflationary" reduction before the next election.
Before his speech at the party's annual conference in the northern city of Manchester, Hunt was keen to announce a rise in the minimum wage for workers over 23 years old to at least £11 ($13.42) an hour from £10.42.
But his message was overshadowed by calls from senior Tory lawmakers, including prime minister Rishi Sunak's predecessor, for tax cuts to try to close the gap in opinion polls with the opposition Labour party before an election expected next year.
It was the latest row over the direction of the party under Sunak, who hopes to use the conference to revitalise his year-old premiership by showing he is not scared of taking tough decisions to try to make people better off.
Seeking to lower the expectations of those who are pressing the government to offer voters tax cuts, Hunt told Times Radio: "I believe in lowering taxes but we don't know whether that's going to be possible before the next election at the moment."
He said any tax cuts this year would be inflationary, making it more difficult to achieve Sunak's pledge made in January to halve inflation by the end of the year.
"Do we want to move to lower taxes as soon as we can? Yes, but it means difficult decisions and we're prepared to take those difficult decisions," Hunt told Sky News, adding that voters understood "how difficult these decisions are".
He also confirmed he would look again at the benefit sanctions regime to make it harder for people to claim welfare payments while refusing to take active steps to move into work, saying he wanted to treat other taxpayers "fairly".
At a conference where government divisions were also on show over how to tackle illegal immigration, Sunak is hoping for a reset of sorts to rally a party which looks headed for a defeat in an election which must be held by January 2025.
He has narrowed the gap with Labour after announcing a watering down of climate policies to reach net zero targets, but many Tory lawmakers and members in Manchester are resigned to losing, and some ministers are using the conference to show their potential to replace him.
Liz Truss, prime minister for a chaotic six weeks last year, will speak just over an hour before Hunt takes to the main stage and will say she wants the Tories "to be the party of business again" by reducing taxes and red tape on companies.
"We must unleash British business by cutting corporation tax," she will say, according to excerpts of her speech.
"So ahead of this year's Autumn Statement, we must make the Tory party the party of business once again, by getting corporation tax back down to 19 per cent."
(Reuters)
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)