Badenoch’s swipe at rivals’ tax cut claims

KEMI Badenoch shared Rishi Sunak’s reluctance to cut taxes in the short term as she called on fellow candidates to ‘tell the truth’ about inflation and the economic crisis yesterday.

Promising to be honest about the economy, she refused to be drawn into a ‘tax bidding war’ as she launched her campaign as a straight-talking Conservative.

In a swipe at those pushing for lower taxes, the former equalities minister pledged ‘honesty about our economic challenge’ and suggested that public cuts were needed before a government could slash rates.

She said: ‘For too long, politicians have been telling us that we can have it all: have your cake and eat it. And I’m here to tell you that is not true. It never has been. No free lunches, no tax cuts without limits on government spending, and a stronger defence without a slimmer state. Governing involves trade-offs, and we need to start being honest about that.

‘Unlike others, I’m not going to promise you things without a plan to deliver them.’ While she committed to future tax cuts, she dismissed most candidates’ promises – with the notable exception of Mr Sunak – to cut them immediately as unrealistic.

‘I will not enter into a tax bidding war over “my tax cuts are bigger than yours”,’ she said. ‘The dividing line in this race is not tax cuts. It’s judgment.’

Branding the Government’s net zero commitments as ‘unilateral economic disarmament’, she also took aim at ‘unproductive public spending’ and ‘well-meaning regulations’ which end up slowing economic growth.

She pledged an end to ‘micro policies’ such as cost of living payments, shifting the focus to sweeping ‘system change’. She also called for reforms to the Winter Fuel Payment to avoid supporting pensioners who can already afford their bills.

Team Kemi has denied rumours that Michael Gove is brokering a pact between them and Mr Sunak to run on a joint ticket. Yesterday Miss Badenoch said she had ‘a lot of respect’ for Mr Sunak, under whom she was a junior minister in the Treasury – but claimed she has ‘differentiated’ herself from him and Liz Truss on policy. She added: ‘I’m not worried about Rishi, I’m not worried about Liz or any of the other candidates. I want you to hear the message that I’m giving to you.’

Mr Gove, who was sacked by the Prime Minister last week, last night denied accusations from a No10 source that he was a ‘snake’ and said Boris Johnson was ‘very equable, very polite’ during his dismissal.

He told the BBC: ‘I’ve been called all sorts of things in my political life, but I’m just a regular guy.’ Having worked with Miss Badenoch at the Department for Levelling Up for almost a year, Mr Gove said this week that the Tory party needs ‘Kemi’s focus, intellect and no-bulls*** drive’.

Miss Badenoch finished second, narrowly behind Penny Mordaunt, in a Conservative Home leadership poll on Monday.