Andrew Griffith

A Tory frontbencher could not hide his absolute horror at discovering shadow chancellor Mel Stride had announced he would raise income tax on Tuesday.

Amid growing speculation over how Rachel Reeves will fill the government’s fiscal black hole in her November Budget, it seems her opposite number had an idea – but not one he’d shared with many colleagues.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Conservative Party conference, Stride said – if he were chancellor – the “cleanest thing to do” would be to raise income tax, because hiking VAT would be inflationary.

His comments immediately sparked backlash from within his own party, considering the Tories are typically against tax raises and in favour of spending cuts.

Conservative peer, David Frost, was expressing his own concerns over Stride’s comments when he inadvertently broke the news to shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith – who tried and failed to stay composed.

Speaking at a TaxPayers’ Alliance event while sat next to Griffith, Frost........

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