In a move that could stir tensions within the Conservative Party, North Herefordshire MP Sir Bill Wiggin has joined a list of 33 MPs opposing any new tax increases. Sir Bill, alongside former Prime Minister Liz Truss and former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, has pledged "not to vote for or support any new taxes that increase the overall tax burden."
This declaration comes just as the Conservative Party conference kicked off in Manchester, running from October 1 to October 4. The pledge was initiated by Tory party chairman Sir Jake Berry, who stated that a high-growth economy "cannot happen with further tax increases when they are already at a 75-year high."
Despite this, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hasn't ruled out the possibility of raising taxes ahead of the next General Election, which might take place as early as next spring. In an interview with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Rishi Sunak mentioned that the party's focus would be on tackling inflation. He said, "which is a tax, and which is making people feel poorer."
The division on the taxation issue within the Conservative Party is now out in the open, and it remains to be seen how it will be addressed during the ongoing conference. With inflation and the cost of living on the rise, the pledge from MPs like Sir Bill Wiggin brings the debate on tax policy to the forefront, as the country navigates economic recovery.