It is not right to impose taxes now. I would reverse the rise in National Insurance that took place in April, make sure we keep corporation tax competitive so we can attract business and investment to Britain and put the Covid debt on a long-term footing. I will make the private sector grow faster than the public sector, with a long-term plan to reduce the size of the state and the tax burden. My plan will secure our future by focusing on economic growth and putting us back on track to become a strong, high-growth, high-productivity unit. It is built on a clear and long-standing conservative philosophy, including bold supply-side reform. My commitment to this agenda runs deep. I grew up in Leeds, in the heart of the Red Wall. I was educated at a comprehensive school in the city and went to primary school in Scotland. I got to where I am today by working hard and focusing on results. My journey was made possible through ambition, drive and entrepreneurship. As Prime Minister, I will deliver a plan that revives these values and is rooted in them. People want to be free to rise, live and thrive. They don’t want the government trying to manage their lives or spending more of their money than necessary. I have stood for core conservative principles throughout my career. I come up with the big ideas to promote these principles and have implemented them in six different departments of government. Time and time again, I have shown that I deliver. No matter the scale of the challenge, I have stepped up to get results. At the Treasury, I had firm control over the national finances. I would take the same approach as prime minister. In the face of EU obstinacy, I have brought forward legislation to break the impasse in Northern Ireland and take the vital steps needed to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and resolve the serious problems the Protocol causes. As secretary of state, I helped lead the international response to Putin’s war in Ukraine and delivered a tough sanctions package that led the world, inflicting real pain on Putin and the Kremlin. As commerce secretary, I made dozens of trade deals with major markets like Australia and Japan that many people thought would not be possible.
