Hunt will target woke council jobs.amid pledge to ease pressure on taxpayers

JEREMY Hunt will crack down on "woke" local council roles as he attempts to curb wasteful public spending when he delivers tomorrow's Budget.

- Sam Lister

The Chancellor insists he will cut taxes in a "responsible way" and vows to ease pressure on taxpayers by making sure their cash is spent "more efficiently".

Local authorities will be told they must produce plans by July showing how they will reduce unnecessary spending on discredited equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives, the Daily Express understands.

Mr Hunt said: "We do want to move to a lower-taxed economy but we're only going to do so in a way that is responsible and recognises that there are things that taxes pay for that we couldn't cut taxes by borrowing.

"We'll do so in a responsible way. But if we can spend money on public services more efficiently, then that will mean less pressure on taxpayers." Mr Hunt, who visited technology firm Siemens in Chippenham, Wiltshire, yesterday is expected to continue the 5p-a-litre cut on fuel duty in his election year Budget.

He is also likely to scale back or abolish the non-dom tax status. This allows foreign nationals who live in the UK but who are officially domiciled overseas to avoid paying UK tax on their overseas income or capital gains. Labour has committed to scrapping it if the party wins the general election and has allocated the cash it would generate to funding some of its policies.

Around £1.6billion would go towards NHS improvements and the rest on primary school breakfast clubs.

It would leave Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer with a decision over whether to ditch the spending plans or reverse any tax cuts introduced tomorrow to cover the cost.