Boris Johnson has faced a furious backlash over plans to plans to raise the 40p income tax threshold at a cost of nearly £10bn – handing thousands of pounds a year back to people on salaries of between £50,000 and £80,000.
Labour’s Tom Watson asked whether the ex-foreign secretary was either “blinkered by privilege, or simply couldn’t give a damn about the rest of the country”, after Mr Johnson proposed the change to stimulate the post-Brexit economy. In his lucrative Daily Telegraph column he called for Britain to become a “clean, green powerhouse”.
The opposition went all-in against Mr Johnson’s suggestion, with Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, calling it “the last thing we need” and Darren Jones suggesting that £9.6bn would be better spent on “nurses or teachers or police or climate change”. It came as a swathe of MPs announced their support for the frontrunner, including former ministers Steve Baker and Priti Patel.
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Nicky Morgan, the former education secretary, has come out to bat for the embattled Michael Gove.
She told the BBC: “What we are talking about with Michael is something he did 20 years ago.
“Before he had any intention, or desire, probably, to go into public life.
“And I really think that past mistakes should not put talented people off politics, particularly at this moment of national crisis.”
Meanwhile, the former Conservative MP Nick Boles is despairing of his ex-colleagues’ leadership pledges.
Nominations are formally open to stand in the Tory leadership contest, meaning the race to succeed Theresa May will begin in earnest today.
Candidates have already been on the air ahead of campaign launches later today.
Asked about Michael Gove’s admission of using cocaine in the past, fellow candidate Andrea Leadsom told the BBC: “I certainly think that we need to ensure that we continue with our very strict drug policies in this country.
“I think it does untold harm to young people – not only drug-taking, but also getting caught up in some of the drug crime, and gang crime. And I think it’s a grave concern for all politicians.”
And Rory Stewart has come out against Boris Johnson’s tax cuts plan.
Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, has fiercely criticised Mr Johnson’s plans for tax cuts.
She tweeted: “No No No, Boris Johnson tax cut plan for higher earners is the absolute last thing we need.
“I thought the Tory leadership candidate couldn’t get anymore out of touch with ordinary people but l was wrong, tax cuts at this time for the higher paid is not the answer to our problems”.
Amber Rudd, who is backing Jeremy Hunt for the Tory leadership, has insisted MPs will block no-deal Brexit.
The work and pensions secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It is a fact that Parliament will intervene to try and stop no deal.
“I think the best shot we have of breaking this impasse is for Jeremy Hunt to use his best endeavours… to try and break it.”
Labour is making hay with Boris Johnson’s planned tax cut for higher earners.
And Michael Gove is still in trouble over the admission he took cocaine.
A former Conservative Party chair has said Mr Gove should quit the leadership race after admitting taking the class A drug, writes Andrew Woodcock.
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who chaired the party from 2010-12, said it was “completely inappropriate” for Mr Gove to stay in the contest after confirming that he took the drug at several social occasions while a young journalist.
Mr Gove was forced to deny having given inaccurate replies about his past drug use in security forms when entering parliament and travelling to the US. And he dismissed as “foolish” suggestions that he might be barred from the US as prime minister as a result.
Conservative leadership contender Rory Stewart has launched a furious broadside at rival Boris Johnson, accusing the former foreign secretary of not being honest about his Brexit plans and challenging him to rule out suspending parliament to force through no deal, writes Andrew Woodcock.
Speaking to The Independent, Mr Stewart said the leadership front-runner was trying to “out-Farage Farage” with an undeliverable plan to renegotiate Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement which was designed to usher in no-deal Brexit but would instead trigger a disastrous general election.
And he blasted Mr Johnson’s “swaggering machismo” over Brexit, which he said risked poisoning the UK’s relations with Europe.
Here are a couple of stories to catch you up…
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UK politics on Monday.
