Tory leadership race: Rivals fight over tax-cutting promises

As the race for Boris Johnson's replacement heats up, conservative leadership hopefuls are presenting competing tax-cutting plans.

Tory leadership race: Rivals fight over tax-cutting promises

As the race for Boris Johnson's replacement heats up, conservative leadership hopefuls are presenting competing tax-cutting plans.

Many declared candidates have already pledged to reduce taxes on individuals, businesses or both.

Sajid Javid, a former health secretary, and Jeremy Hunt pledged to reduce corporation tax in different time frames.

Mr Javid is also one of those who want to abolish April's National Insurance increase.

Nine Tory MPs so far have indicated that they will run for Mr Johnson's replacement. A new leader is expected to be announced by September.

Penny Mordaunt, Trade Minister, has joined the campaign and promised a "different approach towards leadership".

Recent days have seen a significant increase in the number of candidates, with Rishi Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi's successor, and Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, launching campaigns.

In the contest, they will be joining Attorney General Suella Braverman and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and backbencher Tom Tugendhat. In the next 24 hours, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will launch her campaign.

Javid promised tax cuts that would include cancelling the planned increase in corporation tax from 19%-25% next year and instead reducing it by 1p per year to 15%.

He also wants to push forward the 1p income tax cut for next year and reverse April's National Insurance increase, which he introduced while he was Health Secretary to finance the NHS and Social Care.

On Sunday Morning, the BBC's Sunday Morning program, he stated that his tax plans would result in a loss of PS39bn per year. He promised details on how this would be paid for in the coming days.

"I don’t believe in unfunded taxes cuts. He added that this is a fully funded proposal.

Hunt, who was a health secretary under Theresa May, and David Cameron, has presented a rival plan to lower corporation tax to 15% in this autumn's Budget.

If elected, he said that he would also freeze the business rates, which is a tax on commercial properties, for five years for the poorest regions. However, he has stated that any reductions in income tax should be dependent on growth.

He also spoke to Sunday Morning, saying that his plan for smart tax cuts would help grow the economy and deny that they will push inflation higher.

He stated that he was careful not to suggest a plan to inflate inflation and described it as his "main challenge".

He revealed that if elected leader, he would make Tatton MP Esther McVey (who founded the "blue collar", group which aims to target working-class voters) his deputy prime minister.

Mr Hunt and Mr Javid may not be the only ones to announce tax cuts. Mr Zahawi also stated that he would like to reduce taxes for "individuals and families" and Mr Shapps promised to lower personal tax for the most vulnerable.

Sophy Ridge, Sky News' Mr Shapps, stated that he would not allow the corporation tax increase next year and that the 1p reduction in income tax "should happen immediately".

To the same program, Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat stated that he would reverse the rise in National Insurance and lower "crippling fuel taxes".

These tax-cutting proposals are in stark contrast to Mr Sunak, the ex-chancellor who has not yet promised tax cuts if he is elected leader.

On Friday, he launched his campaign with a well-produced video. However, he has yet to give interviews about his economic policies.

Next week will be the announcement of the timetable for contest leadership. The rules-making committee of 1922 will meet late Monday.

It will be two-staged, with Conservative MPs narrowing down the field to two candidates in successive rounds of voting before Tory party members select the winner.