"A furious row over who was to blame for the Budget “shambles” erupted last night after it emerged that the Cabinet was never briefed that the Tory manifesto was being breached.
Philip Hammond’s hour-long briefing to Cabinet colleagues failed to mention that a tax rise on the self-employed clashed with a Tory election promise, it can be revealed.
Cabinet sources have blamed the subsequent damaging headlines on the Treasury’s failure to detect the political danger and warn ministers. However, Treasury figures have pointed the finger at No 10 and its demand for spending to protect Theresa May’s “just about managing” families.
Not once did Mr Hammond mention that his National Insurance increase for the self-employed could clash with a Tory promise made just two years ago, according to numerous sources.
During the hour-long briefing, the 2015 election pledge to “not raise VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax” was conspicuous only by its absence.
The oversight lies at the heart of a vicious blame game that has erupted across Westminster this weekend after the worst-received Budget in half a decade.
Why were ministers not warned? Was the Treasury aware of the issue that would lead almost every newspaper front page the next day? And if not, why not?
“If No 10 has got all these projects to spend money here, there and everywhere then you have to raise it from somewhere,” a Treasury figure said.
“They would have done other things. They would have increased Capital Gains Tax and done goodness knows what to make Philip Hammond look like a Corbynista.
“Nick Timothy [Mrs May’s co-chief of staff] is the one who loves taxes and he loves taxes on the rich because he thinks that’s good for the JAMs nowadays . That’s the impression I get.
“We are the ones who are deemed to be culpable if we don’t get it right. You cannot borrow, spend more and not increase revenue. It is as simple as that."
Tory war over Budget 'shambles' as it emerges Cabinet was never briefed about manifesto breach*
So nobody in the Cabinet remembers their own promises made just 18 months ago???
Somehow it's the Treasury that is supposed to be tracking manifesto promises, ffs!
Fecking Conservative Govt's logic is that increasing revenue is only via increased taxes, FFS!
Philip Hammond’s hour-long briefing to Cabinet colleagues failed to mention that a tax rise on the self-employed clashed with a Tory election promise, it can be revealed.
Cabinet sources have blamed the subsequent damaging headlines on the Treasury’s failure to detect the political danger and warn ministers. However, Treasury figures have pointed the finger at No 10 and its demand for spending to protect Theresa May’s “just about managing” families.
Not once did Mr Hammond mention that his National Insurance increase for the self-employed could clash with a Tory promise made just two years ago, according to numerous sources.
During the hour-long briefing, the 2015 election pledge to “not raise VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax” was conspicuous only by its absence.
The oversight lies at the heart of a vicious blame game that has erupted across Westminster this weekend after the worst-received Budget in half a decade.
Why were ministers not warned? Was the Treasury aware of the issue that would lead almost every newspaper front page the next day? And if not, why not?
“If No 10 has got all these projects to spend money here, there and everywhere then you have to raise it from somewhere,” a Treasury figure said.
“They would have done other things. They would have increased Capital Gains Tax and done goodness knows what to make Philip Hammond look like a Corbynista.
“Nick Timothy [Mrs May’s co-chief of staff] is the one who loves taxes and he loves taxes on the rich because he thinks that’s good for the JAMs nowadays . That’s the impression I get.
“We are the ones who are deemed to be culpable if we don’t get it right. You cannot borrow, spend more and not increase revenue. It is as simple as that."
Tory war over Budget 'shambles' as it emerges Cabinet was never briefed about manifesto breach*
So nobody in the Cabinet remembers their own promises made just 18 months ago???
Somehow it's the Treasury that is supposed to be tracking manifesto promises, ffs!
Fecking Conservative Govt's logic is that increasing revenue is only via increased taxes, FFS!
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