Rishi Sunak warned to return to traditional Tory tax cuts or he’ll lose the next election
RISHI Sunak must return to traditional Tory tax cuts and freedom or lose the next election, he will be told today.
As the Tories mark 13 years in power, the PM will be warned after last week’s dire local elections results he must buck up and listen to his grassroots Tory army.
Tory big beasts including Priti Patel, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries will call on party bosses to return to proper Conservativism or risk another drubbing at the ballot box.
The allies of Boris Johnson will speak to thousands of party members at the Conservative Democratic Organization conference in Bournemouth today, organised by big beast Lord Cruddas, and show them some love after the worse-than-expected results.
Many are furious with the party for booting out BoJo, then putting Rishi Sunak in No10 without giving them a say.
The former PM is not himself expected to attend, but allies including former MEP David Bannerman want him back in Downing Street.
Former Home Secretary Ms Patel is expected to say: “We risk losing votes if we forget who we are and what we stand for.
“The solution to these challenges is not more state control, more spending, and more taxes – which sadly have featured in recent budgets.
“As Conservatives, we must never forget that we are here to serve the public, and to do so in a way that promotes freedom, enterprise and opportunity.”
She lashed out at party chiefs who “rarely seem to be out there meeting the people”, adding: “perhaps if they did that, last week we could not have seen 1,000 of our friends and colleagues lose their seats”.
Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries told The Sun: “Members are quite bruised over what’s happened over the last year – many of those campaigned and voted for Boris and are dismayed at how the party has behaved.
“We want to prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening again.” The Tories lost more than 1,000 seats during the local elections as thousands opted to give them a bloody nose and put Labour in power.
Downing Street failed to shut down speculation of tax cuts – after DWP boss Mel Stride suggested they could slash 2p off income tax if enough Brits went back to work.
No10 insisted the PM wanted to cut taxes “as soon as possible”.
But the PM’s spokesperson said it would be a decision for the Chancellor at the next budget.