Chancellor will hold summits this week to try to reduce tensions in the party over tax rises and how to cut soaring gas bills
Rishi Sunak will attempt to quell growing Conservative unrest over the cost of living as delegations of MPs press him to cancel a planned tax rise and ditch VAT on energy bills in exchange for savings on tackling the pandemic.
The chancellor will convene MPs for several evening summits this week as tensions grow over pressures faced by households from April, with a planned 1.25-percentage-point rise in employee national insurance contributions (NICs) and soaring energy bills once the price cap is reviewed.