The move comes as the prime minister faces growing pressure from the Tories on his leadership, with a growing number of lawmakers filing no-confidence letters against Mr Johnson and three ministers publicly criticizing Downing Street for the party scandal.
Penny Mordaunt, the Secretary of Commerce, told voters that the breach of the rules revealed by Sue Gray’s report was “shameful.”
Ms Mordont said she was “angry” with those at Downing Street who ignored Covid’s rules while blocking “reasonable demands to ease restrictions” during the pandemic.
John Glenn, the finance minister, said Mr Johnson was now in “yellow card territory” and George Freeman, the science minister, said: “The report clearly shows that this is a deeper problem in the culture of number 10 … to repair the damage to public confidence, serious changes must now be made. “
“We want to boost the market”
Mr Johnson’s war against petrol traders was followed by the announcement of an unforeseen tax on oil and gas companies last week. The RAC said retailers “take an average of 2 pence per liter more” than before the 5 pence cut.
Last week, senior ministers discussed the idea of imposing a similar tax on oil companies.
During a telephone conversation in the cabinet, Nadhim Zahawi, secretary of education, said that the gross profit from fuel sales reported by EG Group, the giant in the front yard, increased by 16% in the first quarter of the year.
But a government source said number 10 and ministers had stopped following a less “interventionist” measure.
“We want to boost the market. We have no intention of interfering in this, “the source said.
A Downing Street source added: “We are not looking for another tax.”
A cabinet minister said: “It does not depend on the government how much the business earns. But when we provide a 5 pence reduction in the duty, you expect the good capitalists to hand it over. ”
The Competition and Markets Authority is “closely monitoring the situation”.
Writing in the paper, David Davis, a former cabinet minister who warned on Saturday that Tory MPs “see their own seats disappear”, said: “What the government should not do now is overload us after to give us back our own money as pocket money. He must use every opportunity to reduce or abolish taxes. “
In a separate article, Robert Jenrick, a former housing minister, said it was “difficult to explain what sets us apart from our opponents.”
Add Comment