By-election defeats are Sunak's fault who 'won't listen', says Tory MP John Redwood

25 June 2022, 13:55

Sunak to blame for by-election defeat, says Redwood

Conservative MP John Redwood has slammed Chancellor Rishi Sunak over his economic policy, saying it's his fault that the Tories lost in the by-elections and that "he won't listen".

His comments come after Tory chairman Oliver Dowden quit on Friday over the outcome of the by-elections in Wakefield, Yorkshire, and Tiverton and Honiton, Devon. 

Both seats were formerly held by Tories but went to Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

The MP for Wokingham said: "The Chancellor really has to listen and change policy. The Chancellor last year authorised a whole lot of money printing and keeping interest rates low which is what the money printing was designed to do... and it was bound to be inflationary and he ignored good advice from some of us to go a bit slower on that.

"This year, he's throwing a huge number of tax increases at the economy, which is bound to slow it or even take us straight into recession, and he won't listen!

"He's got to understand that the taxes are too high and they're adding to inflation.

"He won't even cut the VAT on petrol and diesel at the pumps."

Read more: Boris in peril: Humiliating by-election defeat leaves PM in fresh crisis

Matt asked: "But you're slamming the Chancellor on this one, so he's to blame for this election defeat?"

"Well of course!" Mr Redwood shouted.

"It's the Chancellor's economic policy, it's the treasury advice which has been wrong throughout and that's why I've been going horse, for those who will listen, trying to explain that the economic policy is wrong."

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