Martin Ivens, Columnist

Rishi Sunak Gets a Reality Check on U.K. Taxes

The chancellor doesn’t want to be saddled with a reputation for tax hikes that may slow down a recovery.

September 14, 2020 at 6:00 AM UTC

Martin Ivens is the editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Previously, he was editor of the Sunday Times of London and its chief political commentator.

Tax time.
Photographer: Stefan Rousseau/PA Images

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In the U.K., Conservative party campaign ads often warn of “tax bombshells” about to be dropped by a profligate Labour party. Yet allies of Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently briefed the media about a Tory “tax bombshell” to pay for the billions splurged by the government during the Covid-19 crisis. An explosion duly followed in the ranks of his party.

Sunak backtracked fast. There would be no “horror show” of taxes in November’s budget, he assured fellow MPs. For the chancellor, the favored child of a luckless government, this was a serious reality check.