Tory tax alarm as poll finds voters believe LABOUR is more likely to reduce the eye-watering burden

• Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt under pressure from Tory MPs over tax burden
• PM and Chancellor resisting early tax cuts saying inflation must come down first 

Tories tax nerves were fueled today as a shock poll found voters believe Labour is more likely to cut the burden.

Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have been facing growing calls from MPs for early action to reduce levies on individuals and businesses.

However, the Treasury has all-but ruled out action in the Budget in March – with warnings that cuts could only be announced in the Autumn if inflation has been slashed.  

The Savanta research for the Sunday Telegraph found 49 per cent of Brits thought the burden is too high. Some 28 per cent believed it was ‘about right’, and 13 per cent wanted it raised further.

Asked which of the political parties they ‘trust more’ to cut taxes, 49 per cent said Labour compared to 23 per cent who opted for the Conservatives.

Tories tax nerves were fueled today as a shock poll found voters believe Labour is more likely to cut the burden

Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (pictured on a joint visit to Accrington last week) have been facing growing calls from MPs for early action to reduce levies on individuals and businesses

Last week the PM gave a blunt response when he was quizzed on the potential for reductions soon – and also swiped at James Dyson after the billionaire launched a brutal attack on the government’s ‘short-sighted’ and ‘stupid’ policies.

Mr Sunak said on a visit to Morecambe: ‘I’m a Conservative, I want to cut your taxes … I wish I could do that tomorrow, quite frankly, but the reason we can’t is because of all the reasons you know. 

‘You’re not idiots, you know what’s happened.’

He said the pandemic and the war in Ukraine had left the public finances ‘not where it needs to be’.

Mr Sunak said ‘it takes a bit of work to get there’ but he vowed to make the economy stronger so the NHS and schools can be funded, secure lower interest rates and get a ‘grip of’ inflation.

‘Trust me, that’s what I’m going to do for you this year, that’s what we’re going to do while I’m Prime Minister and if we do those things we will be able to cut your taxes,’ he added.

Mr Sunak also pointed to the ‘super-deduction’ – which allows companies to invest large sums tax-free – saying he would like to hear from Sir James whether any other country was offering anything similar.   

Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have been scrambling to bring in revenue since the Downing Street handover last October, insisting their priority is to stabilise the government finances in the wake of the disastrous Liz Truss meltdown.

However, there is deep disquiet on Conservative benches that there is no prospect of tax cuts at the Budget.

MailOnline understands there is instead a Cabinet push for Mr Hunt to ease the eye-watering burden on Brits by the Autumn, with fears it could be the only ‘narrow path’ to the Tories winning the next election. 

Inflation dropped slightly in December after spiralling to a 40-year high in October – but is still more than five times the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target

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