Blow For Rishi Sunak As Poll Shows Labour's Lead Has Increased Since Autumn Statement

Labour’s lead over the Tories has increased in the wake of the Autumn Statement, according to a new poll.

The Techne UK survey showed that support for the Conservatives dropped by one point to just 21%, while Labour’s held steady at 46%.

The findings are a blow for Rishi Sunak, who had hoped chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s announcements of tax cuts would boost support for his party.

A total of 1,640 adults took part in the poll, which was carried out on Wednesday – the day of the autumn statement – and Thursday.

Techne said: “The autumn budget has done little to inspire the general public as the Conservative Party dropped one point.”

Hunt unveiled what he described as “the biggest package of tax cuts since the 1980s” as he declared the UK economy has “turned a corner”.

He announced £20 billion-worth of cuts to National Insurance and business taxes, funded by cuts to public services.

However, within minutes it emerged that the overall tax burden is set to hit a new post-war record by the end of the decade.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “This Autumn Statement was a Hunt hoax.

“Buried in the small print is a massive stealth tax raid that will drag millions into paying a higher rate in the coming years.

“The British people will rightly be furious at this deception, as they are forced to pay the price for Conservative chaos through years of unfair tax hikes.”

The Autumn Statement has also been overshadowed by allegations that home secretary James Cleverly called a town in northern England as a “shithole” in the House of Commons.

And a fresh Tory civil war has broken out after new figures revealed the government is on course to break its manifesto pledge to cut immigration.