This is only slightly higher than the 1.9% of GDP hikes introduced in Tony Blair’s government across 10 years. The only other Conservative leader close to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s level was John Major who increased tax by 1.5% in his six-and-a-half-year tenure.

In its research, the IFS examined the tax changes announced by this government so far, before placing them in the wider context of 50 years of fiscal policy by comparing them to the tax changes made by UK Governments since 1970.

From this research, the IFS concluded that tax rising governments have ‘become the new normal’.

The research comes as the Conservative Party Conference begins in Blackpool today, where Sunak once again stated that he ‘did not come into politics to raise taxes’ however he also stated that ‘it is wrong to keep putting up borrowing’.

In a