Sunak says Truss’s cost of living plan is ‘big bung’ to wealthy and large firms
Rishi Sunak has launched a fresh attack on his Conservative leadership rival Liz Truss’s plan for tax cuts in an emergency budget, describing it as a “big bung” for large businesses and the better-off which would do little to help those most in need over the winter.
On Saturday, Truss rejected “handouts” as a way of helping people affected by the cost of living crisis. Rather, Truss said that she would go ahead with her proposed tax cuts, which would be her primary way of helping people with the cost of living crisis.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Truss said she would help households facing a financial squeeze, but that she would do this “in a Conservative way of lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts”.
Writing in the Sun on Monday, Sunak rejected this approach, saying: “Families are facing a long, hard winter with rising bills. Yet Liz’s plan to deal with that is to give a big bung to large businesses and the well-off, leaving those who most need help out in the cold.”
He added that what was worse was the fact that Truss said “she will not provide direct support payments to those who are feeling the pinch most”.
The result of the Tory leadership contest will be announced on 5 September.
On Sunday, Truss was accused of making another U-turn within a week, after her campaign tried to play down suggestions there would be no support payments to help millions of struggling people through an already worsening cost of living crisis this winter.
It follows Truss having been forced to abandon plans to cut public sector pay for roles outside London and the south-east.
Oliver Dowden, the former co-chairman of the Conservative party, who is backing Sunak for leader, said Truss’s plans of cutting national insurance would do
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