Johnson piles pressure on Sunak: ‘Cut taxes to get economy growing’

Boris Johnson has sugegsted that Rishi Sunak should cut taxes to “get the economy growing again” – even though the prime minister has repeatedly said his priority is bringing down inflation and the UK’s debt.

In a surprising intervention, the former prime minister, who last year was forced to quit after a series of scandals, said he had “no doubt” his successor would reduce the burden of taxes, suggesting doing so would win the Tory party the next election.

Mr Johnson said: “The fiscal position was pretty robust when I left office – we had scope to do all sorts of things and we were going to do them and I have no doubt that, when the time comes, the government will make sure that they start to reduce the tax burden and get the economy growing again. That is what needs to happen.