Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

PMQs: Boris let slip his election attack lines

(Photo by Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament)

Covid is ancient history. And Ukraine has ceased to dominate PMQs. Today, ideological warfare between the parties broke out again. The old politics is back. Sir Keir Starmer accused the Chancellor of fibbing during last week’s bogus budget. Tax hikes had been camouflaged as tax cuts.

Boris denied this and praised his Chancellor for delivering a historic bonanza of golden giveaways. ‘The biggest cut in fuel duty ever. And the biggest cut in tax for working people in the last 10 years.’ Sir Keir silenced him. ‘Cut the nonsense and treat the British people with a bit of respect.’ The tax burden is soaring, he said, and for every pound given away, six pounds were being taken back. His solution? A one-off tax grab from Big Oil whose profits are on the rise.

Boris said this would hurt inward investment, and he turned his guns on Labour’s disregard for energy security during their 13 years in power. He travelled back to 1997 when the Labour manifesto had claimed ‘there is no economic case for more nuclear power’. This ancient dividing line suited Sir Keir. ‘The Conservatives are the party of excess oil and gas profits. We are the party of working people.’

Boris will accuse Labour of hating Britain, of loving the EU and of taxing businesses to fund benefits

He waited till the end of his six questions to drop his bombshell. He reminded Boris of his claim that no one at Downing Street had broken the law during lockdown. And yet the cops are now issuing fines for ‘widespread criminality’.

‘Why is he still here?’ asked Sir Keir. Boris rode a wave of cries and catcalls from all sides of the house. He threw out his arms in mock outrage. ‘Hang on! Hang on a minute,’ he blustered.

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