After a vote of confidence, the PM is under pressure to lower taxes

After surviving a vote of confidence, Boris Johnson is facing pressure from his MPs to implement tax cuts. Supporters of the prime minister believe the decision will help the Tory party regain unity while also addressing the rising cost of living.

Mr Johnson is prepared to face his MPs for the first time at Prime Minister’s Questions since four out of ten of them voted to depose him on Monday.

He has called on his party to “draw a line” in the sand when it comes to questions regarding his leadership. However, several Conservative MPs continue to publicly call for him to go.

Mr Johnson gained the support of 211 Conservative MPs in the ballot, which was precipitated by Partygate, while 148 Conservative MPs voted to remove him, a higher number than had been widely expected.

When he spoke with them ahead of Monday’s vote, he is claimed to have hinted at tax cuts, which are currently at their highest level since the 1940s.

The national insurance level will be raised next month, and the fall budget is expected to include tax breaks for firms to stimulate investment.

However, both allies and internal opponents are urging the prime minister to push forward personal tax cuts, including income tax and VAT, that were scheduled for later in this session.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that he wants tax cuts “as quickly as feasible” and that the government will pursue “a radical tax-cutting programme” before the next election.

The Prime Minister will also be the subject of a Commons privileges committee investigation into whether he misled parliament about Downing Street’s lockdown rule-breaking.

Mr Johnson’s triumph means that his backbenchers will be unable to call another confidence vote on him for a year under current Tory party rules.

The opposition presently facing the prime minister, according to one of the rebels, Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, is “not a scenario that can persist,” and the next several months will be difficult for him.