Former cabinet minister Michael Gove has refused to say whether he would vote with the government on the borrowing-fuelled tax cuts – attacking them as “not Conservative”.
Repeatedly challenged on whether he would vote with Labour, Mr Gove said: “I don’t believe it [tax cut plan] is right.”
He told the Chopper’s Politics podcast that Kwasi Kwarteng’s package of unfunded tax cuts was “worrying”.
Speaking at a live recording of the podcast at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, he said: “My worry is that we are betting too much on tax cuts when we are borrowing to pay for them. That is not conservative in my view.
“My other worry is if you are going to make tax changes, a 45p cut that will benefit millionaires but not ordinary people is not the right priority at this point.”
Asked if he was now a “rebel leader”, Mr Gove replied: “No. I’m just a backbencher.”
It comes as the prime minister admitted she should have “laid the ground” better about the government’s mini-Budget which triggered dramatic market turmoil.
