PM: Sunak guilty of failed judgment

BORIS Johnson believes Chancellor Rishi Sunak was guilty of ‘a failure of political judgment’ in complaining to him about the UK’s chaotic and restrictive travel rules, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

The Prime Minister made his remarks to MP allies after a note written by the Chancellor a month ago found its way into the public domain last weekend – shortly before the infamous ‘traffic light’ rules were reviewed on Thursday. In his letter, Mr Sunak said that the UK was ‘out of step’ with the rest of the world.

One of the MPs said: ‘Boris regarded it as a failure of political judgment.’

The revelation comes amid growing tensions between the pair as Mr Johnson finalises a set of expensive new policies to be announced in September.

Mr Johnson is close to agreeing the details of a new £10 billion-a-year ‘health tax’ to tackle the backlog in NHS appointments caused by the pandemic and start to reform the care system for the elderly.

Sources said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak are ‘ironing out a few wrinkles’ to finalise the plan, which will see National Insurance rise by at least 1 per cent for workers and employers.

Talks are continuing about how funds will be allocated between NHS needs and social care reform, and what the cap on care costs should be.

Mr Johnson will be working on his plans for the autumn while taking a two-week break in the UK.

He will also be drawing up environmental policies ahead of hosting the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow in November, and announcing a winter plan on Covid-proofing the economy and the NHS.