Boris Johnson was urged to tell the public “difficult home truths”
(Picture: PA)Ex-chancellor Philip Hammond has urged Boris Johnson to tell the public “difficult home truths” about tax and spending decisions once the Covid pandemic is over.
He spoke out ahead of next week’s Budget, amid claims that Rishi Sunak is planning to boost the economy for a “post-lockdown boom”.
Senior Tory backbenchers cast doubt on reports that the Chancellor would attempt a windfall tax on supermarkets and other sectors that did well during lockdown, or that he would try to stimulate growth early this summer, pointing out much of the economy will not be open.
The Standard yesterday revealed that Mr Sunak is planning to spare businesses from pain in April by extending a VAT cut, a business rates holiday and furloughing for three months. He is also set to extend the stamp duty holiday to June.
Lord Hammond told the BBC: “My fear is that, as a populist government, giving money away is always easier than collecting it in. And the Government will be tempted not to move quickly back to normalising the relationship between government and citizen, the balance between taxing and spending.”
