Majority of Tory voters support Rishi Sunak’s plan to raise corporate tax on business profits
Rishi Sunak backed corporate tax hike
2 minute read
Exclusive: A majority of Conservative voters polled for a new poll said they support a proposed corporate tax rate hike.
As chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced a rise in corporation tax from next year to 25%, up from the current 19%, and pledged to keep the increase if he wins the race. the Conservative leadership and became Prime Minister in September.
The rival candidate, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, has pledged to drop the planned increase.
New polling for think tank Onward showed a majority of Tory voters would like the next prime minister to go ahead with plans to raise business taxes.
The figures, seen by PolicyHomeshow nearly 56% of Tory voters support the plans, with just 28% saying they want the next leader to drop the pledge.
That compares with 63% of the general public supporting the tax hike, while 54% of former Conservative voters, who might vote for another party in a future election, also support the increase.
The poll also shows weak support among Tory voters for increasing National Insurance to help fund the NHS and social care services, with 45% supporting the move compared to 42% who want the next Prime Minister to scrap the ‘increase.
That compares with just 34% of all voters wanting to see the NI hike stick, with nearly 47% hoping it will be scrapped by the next prime minister.
The leadership hopefuls have repeatedly clashed over their approach to the economy in recent debates, with Truss describing plans to increase National Insurance during the cost-of-living crisis as ‘morally wrong’ and accusing Sunak to “marvel” at his bleak economic predictions.
In response to the poll, a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak’s campaign told PoliticsHome, “This latest poll confirms what we have been saying all along. Rishi Sunak is the Conservative Party’s best chance of winning the next election.”
Plans to introduce new laws offering greater protection to tenants were also backed by a significant majority of voters (72%), with 69% of Conservative voters also supporting the measures.
A survey of 6,549 UK adults was conducted online by Public First between 13 and 17 July 2022
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