A TOP Liz Truss ally has hinted at future handouts for hard-up Brits, despite the leadership frontrunner ruling them out.
This morning, Brandon Lewis refused more than four times to confirm Ms Truss would not spend any more money helping families pay rocketing bills.
The former minister told BBC Radio 4: “She’s not ruling out doing more to help people.
"Her focus is around doing it in a way that puts more money in people’s pockets, creates a high-growth economy with high wages and higher numbers of people in work.”
Over the weekend Ms Truss told the Financial Times she would look at what more can be done to help struggling Brits with the cost-of-living crisis.
But the frontrunner was adamant help would come through slashing taxes rather than boosting benefits.
She said: "The way I would do things is in a Conservative way of lowering the tax burden, not giving out handouts."
Rival Rishi Sunak hit back at the plan, branding it “starry-eyed boosterism”.
He argued that for working families, “tax cuts simply won’t touch the sides”.
READ MORE POLITICS
Liz Truss’s pledge to bring forward tax cuts slammed by Rishi Sunak
Liz Truss more trusted than Rishi Sunak to fix cost of living, poll finds
Defending the ex-Chancellor, ally Oliver Dowden told Radio 4: “I do think we need to have some direct support and we need some clarity on that from the other side.”
With four weeks to go until the Tory leadership race ends, debate has honed in on how to get Britain through spiralling inflation.
Analysts predict average energy bills will hit £3,358 per year from October, a £1,387 rise on the yearly cost from April.
The Bank of England last week warned that Britain is on course to hit a recession in winter, which would last around 15 months.
Ms Truss pledged an emergency Budget in September to scrap the 1.25 per cent National Insurance rise.
She plans to suspend the green levy on energy bills and called for major reforms.
Most read in The Sun
Witnesses slam water park where girl, 11, died on inflatable assault course
Terrified Brit boy, 8, savaged by sharks on holiday in the Bahamas
England heroes Ella Toone and Ellie Roebuck continue post-Euro part in Ibiza
Love Island fans all say the same thing as Danica shares sexy underwear snaps
Mr Sunak argued scrapping the health and social care levy would only save someone on the Living Wage £59 a year, and a median earner £170.
The ex-Chancellor refused to rule out further handouts to help families through the crisis.
Source: Read Full Article
