Tory rebel Esther McVey fumes that Jeremy Hunt could have 'put the final nail on election hopes'

The former work and pensions secretary said she could not support the tax hikes announced in yesterday's autumn statement and said money should be saved on projects like HS2

Esther McVey rallied against the tax hikes announced by Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn Statement (

Image: Jeff J Mitchell)

A former Tory cabinet minister has suggested Jeremy Hunt's tax hikes could be 'the final nail' in the party's electoral chances as he and Rishi Sunak face growing rebellion.

Esther McVey launched a scathing attack on the plans, saying she could not support the decision to raise taxes on 'hurried' Britons.

Voters are likely to face many months of Tory bickering over the bombshell announcement, which has been heavily criticized, with economists warning Britons face years of hardship.< /p>

She rallied against HS2, saying the £150bn project - which Mr Hunt announced yesterday would go ahead - should have been scrapped first.

Speaking on GB News, Ms McVey fumed: 'What you don't need is less of your income going into your pocket.'

And she continued, "I think - as several people have written - was this the end of the Conservative party and is this going to be the nail in the coffin for the next general election?"

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Ms McVey, who served as Work and Pensions Secretary under Theresa May, added: 'I can't support these increases, I said look at other places where you could have saved money money and get more value for the British people. ."

It comes amid a warning that Britons have "become much poorer", with middle-income people "set for a shock" after Mr Hunt's autumn statement.

The stern warning from respected think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies came after the Chancellor was accused of raiding millions of working people with stealth tax hikes.

He stressed that he would be "very surprised" if the tax burden decreased on average over the long term before Covid at "any point in the coming decades".

The Chancellor yesterday announced £25billion in tax increases in his financial plan, but it has already left many in his party uneasy.

The great Tory Lord Frost has accused the government of 'avoiding hard choices'.