'We need to be out talking about the benefit of Brexit, not being bashful about it'

BORIS Johnson has thrown down the gauntlet to Rishi Sunak, insisting tax cuts are the key to winning the next general election.

- By Martyn Brown Deputy Political Editor

Despite trailing Labour in the polls, there is plenty of time for the Tories to bounce back, he confidently predicted.

"The fact is that the Conservative Party can certainly win the next election. Yes, absolutely," the ex-PM told close ally Nadine Dorries on her new TalkTV show. “The economy will start to improve, inflation will come down, people will reward the Conservative Party.

“They will reward the Government for being sensible, for cutting their taxes and for getting things done that they need done.”

Many Tories are urging the Prime Minister to slash taxes to boost economic growth and help ease the burden on hard-pressed households.

But Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have indicated it is unlikely there will be any in next month’s Budget, with their main priority tackling high inflation.

In what could be seen as a thinly veiled swipe at his successor Liz Truss, Mr Johnson said the Government’s financial position was “pretty robust when I left office”. He added: “We had scope to do all sorts of things and we were going to do them. And I have no doubt that when the time comes, the Government will make sure that they start to reduce the tax burden and get the economy growing again. And that is what needs to happen.