Hunt has chance to turn the tide

CHOKING tax rates have devastated small businesses for years.

They have been disastrous for hard-working White Van Men, ravaged the pub industry, wrecked small enterprise and ruined lives.

The fact they have been imposed under the Conservatives, who used to pride themselves on being the party of low taxation, goes a long way to explaining their current dire rating with voters.

In fact, according to one poll yesterday, 32 per cent of the electorate regard Labour as the party of low taxes compared to 23 per cent for the Tories.

Of course the twin economic horrors of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine are to blame for stoking the high inflation which has pushed up taxes.

But Rishi Sunak’s disciplined battle to bring down inflation means that on Wednesday Jeremy Hunt could start turning the tide.

The Chancellor, who has headroom of about £20billion, is considering a cut in National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.

That will be music to the ears of White Van Man and the small businesses this country relies on.

But Mr Hunt must go far beyond this and use this opportunity to start shrinking the size of the state and reducing the record tax burden for everybody.

Trimming the bloated bill for welfare and red tape would be a real start.

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Slashing inheritance tax and stamp duty would also provide a boost, the latter particularly for younger people struggling to get a toehold in the housing market.

But Mr Hunt must also clearly declare that the Government is totally committed to income tax cuts as soon as possible.

Hard-working Brits hit by the cost-of-living crisis need to know there is light at the end of this dreary tunnel.

Perhaps then they may come to regard the Tories as the real low tax party.

Charter for skivers

TRIMMING welfare is about as repulsive a policy as you can get for Labour.

Sir Keir Starmer’s team are already planning to splurge billions on work-shy benefit claimants if they win power.

The party has pledged to ease “punitive” benefit cuts on those who dodge employment even though they are perfectly fit and able to hold down a job.

Tories claim up to 130,000 idlers could be let off the hook every month at a cost of £2billion over five years.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride is right to slam Labour’s disgraceful “soft touch” approach.

But if you think the Tory public spending splurge is bad wait until Labour unveil their plans.

You ain’t seen nothing yet.