Rishi Sunak must scrap National Insurance rise and cut fuel duty now

BORIS Johnson says he wants to pull out all the stops to help struggling Brits.

The PM points out that rising energy and fuel prices are partly a direct tactic of Vladimir Putin to “weaken the collective will."

He told the Tory faithful in Blackpool yesterday: “We’ve got to do everything we can to to help people with their daily costs.’’

OK, Boris. But this is no time for half-measures.

Hard-up Brits are being crippled by eye-watering energy bills and rising inflation.

Some can’t even afford the petrol to take their kids to school.

Rishi Sunak needs to come up with a big and bold move.

At every opportunity so far he has played down the prospect of meaningful tax cuts in Wednesday’s mini-Budget, saying he cannot wave a magic wand.

This is despite estimates of an unexpected £40billion boost to Treasury coffers. Boris and Rishi need to get together on a united policy.

If the PM is sincere about helping out here’s how he and the Chancellor can make a start.

First, scrap the hated April NI tax rise, which now looks increasingly unhinged.

Secondly, bring in an immediate cut to fuel duty. That really would be trying to help.

War criminal Putin

VLADIMIR Putin must never escape responsibility for his monstrous war crimes.

Hypersonic missiles are just the latest callous tactic of a fiend who revels in the slaughter of innocent children.

Britain must play a full part in ensuring the evil despot and his henchmen face eventual justice.

Dominic Raab’s task force is a good place to start.

It will play a vital role in gathering evidence of atrocities by lawless Russian commanders and the soldiers under them.

The International Criminal Court has rightly been relentless in hunting down Nazis for Second World War crimes.

The oldest, only last year, was aged 100.

Putin must be in no doubt that he will face the same fate.

He must be pursued until his dying day.

Light in the darkness

WITH bills soaring and a war raging the world can seem a gloomy place.

But at last we can take some consolation from the weather.

We’re heading for a March heatwave and the clocks spring forward next Sunday.

At least it’s sunny!