Sunak Eyes Tax Cuts and an Autumn Election — If He Can Survive
- Doubts about UK premier’s leadership spreading in Tory party
- Plan to jam Labour on taxes widely seen as damage limitation
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Rishi Sunak thinks he has the makings of a plan to stave off a Conservative Party wipe-out in the upcoming UK election: another tax-cutting budget in September, with voters going to the polls in October or November. Having the chance to put it into action may be easier said than done.
That is the central scenario among political advisers working for Sunak, who this week finally ruled out holding a snap election on May 2, quelling weeks of speculation that he might call an early vote. While the election date is not decided, the prime minister’s aides believe he can leverage falling inflation, expected interest rate cuts and the fiscal headroom likely to accrue by rolling into a new forecast period to announce more pre-ballot giveaways.