Now that is a promise! Boris Johnson vows to slash bills
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In a wide-ranging speech, the Prime Minister will today spell out how he will unleash Britain’s “fiscal firepower” to protect every household from surging prices. He will unveil his action plan to tackle energy, childcare, transport, and housing costs head-on.
Mr Johnson will say: “We have the tools we need to get on top of rising prices. The global headwinds are strong, but our engines are stronger.”
“And while it’s not going to be quick or easy, you can be confident that things will get better, that we will emerge from this a strong country with a healthy economy.”
Signalling his determination to provide extra help for households struggling with spiralling inflation, Mr Johnson will add: “Over the next few weeks, the Government will be setting out reforms to help people cut costs in every area of household expenditure, from food to energy to childcare to transport and housing.”
“As we continue to deal with the Covid aftershocks and the inflationary impact of the war in Ukraine, our strategy is clear.”
“We will continue to use our fiscal firepower to help the country through tough times – and concentrating our help where we should, on those who need it most.”
His “reforming mission” includes reviving former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s dream of making home ownership available to all.”
Mr Johnson’s speech in Lancashire marks the start of a policy blitz to relaunch his government after this week’s failed attempt by Tory rebels to remove him as their leader.
It also follows growing pressure from ministers and backbenchers for tax cuts to boost the economy and win over wavering voters.
Mr Johnson will say: “We will continue with the agenda on which this Government was elected, to unite and level up across the country, building the productivity of the UK with generational investments in infrastructure, skills and technology.”
“We will continue to support the NHS and to clear the Covid backlogs and to fund all other vital public services.”
“At the same time, we will use this moment to accelerate the reforming mission of the Government, to cut the costs that the Government imposes on businesses and people.”
Mr Johnson says the measures “will protect households, boost productivity and, above all, increase the rate of growth of the UK”.
The Prime Minister is expected to pledge more reforms in the coming weeks.
He will say his Government is committed to reversing declining home ownership rates and helping more people to get on the property ladder.
Government figures have shown the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds who own their own home fell from 55 percent to 34 percent from 1996 to 2016.
Mr Johnson will acknowledge too many people spend huge sums in the private rental market that could be better spent on investing in mortgage payments to buy their own home.
Measures include helping aspiring homeowners obtain mortgage finance, encouraging affordable flat-pack homes and extending the right to buy to housing association properties.
Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak will set out more of their vision for the economy’s future next week, in a Plan For Growth.
Meanwhile, the pro-tax cut Tories’ case was boosted yesterday by a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
A report suggested the UK economy would benefit from slowing the pace of repaying Government debt to provide more room for tax cuts or public spending. It said: “The Government should consider slowing fiscal consolidation to support growth,” the report said.
Ex-Cabinet minister John Redwood said: “The Chancellor has always said he has to pay for the tax cuts with other taxes.”
“I say you pay for the tax cuts out of growth and you can actually pay for the tax cuts because you’re getting this big windfall extra tax in this year.”
“And you could have paid for much bigger tax cuts last year, because you have a huge increase in revenues compared with forecasts.”
But Labour shadow treasury minister Tulip Siddiq said: “This is a Prime Minister so deluded he thinks two-fifths of his MPs declaring no confidence in him is a good result. No wonder he is unwilling to face the reality that economic growth in the UK will grind to a halt next year, with only Russia performing worse than us in the G20.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper called Mr Johnson’s Government “broken”.
She said: “If he had any clue how to help millions of families and pensioners, he’d cut VAT, ditch the National Insurance hike and tackle the housing crisis.”
“Instead he’s going on a jolly to spout more hot air and waffle rather than getting a grip on his Government.”
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Buoyant Boris back in flesh
Boris Johnson has vowed that “absolutely nothing and no one” will stop him from carrying on with his Downing Street job.
Two days after scraping through a leadership confidence vote, the PM delivered a barnstorming performance at the Commons Dispatch Box to banish any doubts about his determination to stay put.
He even joked that his political career had “only just begun”. Worryingly for his foes, he looked like he meant it.
Arriving for his first Commons grilling since his MPs voted by 211 to 148 to keep him as their leader, Mr Johnson was greeted with a roar of approval from Tory loyalists.
Yet for all the noise, the chamber felt less crowded than usual for the weekly clash.
Tory rebels seemed to be laying low. Jeremy Hunt, a leading plotter who this week outed himself as a would-be premier, skulked silently by the main exit.
First up was Labour’s Dame Angela Eagle. “This week’s events have demonstrated just how loathed this Prime Minister is – and that is only in his own party,” she huffed. Her brickbat was biffed straight back by a buoyant PM.
“I can assure her that in a long political career so far – but barely begun – I have of course picked up political opponents all over the place,” he said.
“What I want her to know is that absolutely nothing and no one, least of all her, is going to stop us from getting on with delivering for the British people.” Dame Angela’s opener turned out to be Labour’s best effort.”
Sir Keir Starmer spent most of his questions asking why the NHS had not been better prepared for the pandemic.
It was left to SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford to up the ante, deploying a gag from a half century-old comedy sketch.
“The Prime Minister is acting like Monty Python’s black knight, running around declaring: It’s just a flesh wound!”, he quipped.
Former PM Theresa May abandoned her usual Sphinx-like demeanour to chuckle uproariously at that one.
No-confidence vote digs done, the session moved onto earthier matters with Tory veteran Sir Oliver Heald rising for a question.
“Changing the subject completely, in North East Hertfordshire we are very concerned about sewage overflows,” he said.
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Boris Johnson will ‘fight and win next election’
The Prime Minister is determined to fight and win the next general election, a senior Downing Street aide says.
Boris Johnson wants the Tories to unite around the Government’s “ambitious agenda” for Britain.
No10 also dismissed reports that Mr Johnson is considering replacing Chancellor Rishi Sunak with leading backbench rebel ringleader Jeremy Hunt to take the sting out of the party revolt.
His spokeswoman said: “There is no vacancy for this role. We have an excellent chancellor and he and the Prime Minister are working closely together.”
She also insisted he had “no plans” for a Cabinet reshuffle to punish frontbenchers suspected of disloyalty.
Asked about his long-term plans, she said: “He plans to fight and win the next election.”
She added: “His view is we should unite behind our ambitious agenda. We were elected on a bold manifesto in 2019 and we must continue to deliver for the public.”
The PM is not planning to take action over caustic jibes exchanged between ministers and rebels before Monday’s confidence vote.
In one public clash, Culture Secretary and leadership loyalist Nadine Dorries tore into Mr Hunt, a former Tory leadership contender understood to be hankering for the Prime Minister’s job, denouncing his record as a former health secretary.
His spokeswoman added: “There were various things that were said before the vote but the vote has now taken place and now is the time for us to unite and focus on our job.”.
Asked if the PM thought Mr Hunt was a good health secretary, she said: “Yes.”
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