Boris Johnson pledges tax-cutting Budget within 100 days of winning general election
3 min read
Boris Johnson has vowed to deliver a tax-cutting Budget within days of the UK leaving the EU if the Conservatives win the election.
Chancellor Sajid Javid will present the plans to MPs in February as part of a blitz of activity planned for the first 100 days of a new Tory government.
Other plans include enshrining in law the Conservatives' vow to increase NHS spending to £33.9bn a year by 2023/24.
That would make it illegal for ministers to fail to his the target, which represents a 3.1% hike on the current health service budget.
Mr Johnson has also pledged to introduce tougher sentences for terrorists, an Australian-style points-based immigration system, more money for schools and the start of cross-party talks to solve the social care crisis.
But it is the promise to cut taxes within weeks of the general election which the Prime Minister hopes will highight the difference between the Tories and Labour with just a week to go until polling day.
Jeremy Corbyn's party has announced plans to put up taxes and borrowing in order to fund a massive public spending programme.
Mr Johnson said: "In just seven days time the British people will have to choose between a working majority government or yet another gridlocked hung Parliament.
"If there is a Conservative majority next week, we will get Brexit done by the end of January. 2020 will then be the year we finally put behind us the arguments and uncertainty over Brexit.
"We will get Parliament working on the people’s priorities - delivering 50,000 more nurses and 20,000 more police, creating millions more GP appointments, and taking urgent action on the cost of living."
But he said that the "nightmare" of another hung Parliament would put Jeremy Corbyn into Number 10 propped up by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.
"Next year will be Groundhog Day in Parliament with MPs arguing every day about the referendum and businesses and families left in limbo, unable to plan their futures," he said
"With Corbyn, 2020 will be the year of two chaotic referendums on Brexit and Scottish Independence creating more uncertainty. Nothing else will happen. I believe the British people will choose to go forwards and not return to the nightmare of a broken hung Parliament."
But Shadow Communities Secretary Andrew Gwynne said "The Tories have had 3,494 days in office, and in those days we've seen child poverty soar, rising homelessness, rising food bank use, and violent crime is up too. The NHS has more people waiting for operations, and record staff vacancies.
"As the Conservatives approach 3,500 days of failure, it's clear that more of the same failed austerity, privatisation and tax giveaways for the few is not the answer.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Ed Davey said Mr Johnson was "lying to the British public by pretending he can actually deliver on any of these promises".
He said: "This is pure fantasy. A Tory government would remain completely consumed by Brexit not just for the next 100 days, but for years to come.
"We must prevent Johnson getting a blank cheque to crash Britain out of the EU by the end of 2020. Voters have one week left to stop Boris and stop Brexit."
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