TORY big-hitters have told Boris Johnson he risks election disaster with his raid on workers’ wages to plug the NHS black hole.
They say voters must see the benefits of the National Insurance (NI) rise very quickly or they will desert the party.
Millionaire donor Lord Ashcroft said: “Boris Johnson is acting like a crazed Formula 1 racer with a magnum of Moët & Chandon, showering the health service with cash that risks being sprayed up the wall.
“Let us hope health chiefs use this bonanza wisely — or it will not just be patients who will die unnecessarily, but the Conservative Party’s chances of re-election.”
Hedge fund boss Crispin Odey said Covid set governments free to spend, adding: “No one is better at spending than Mr Johnson. They’ve got the ideal drunken captain.”
Their comments, backed by a slew of backbenchers, come as the PM faces a tough Tuesday forcing the tax rise law through the Commons in a single day.
His party whips are hoping to whittle down the size of any rebellion after two dozen Tories refused to back his NI proposals in a Commons vote last Wednesday.
His opponents also see a chance to oust marginal seat Tory MPs who voted for the rise. The Lib Dems have drawn up a hit list of 20 they think are vulnerable.
But Health Secretary Sajid Javid defended the rise, insisting: “I want that waiting list to be tackled.”
MPs also fear town halls will raise bills to pay for social care as the NHS will soak up most of the new cash, meaning a tax double whammy for millions.
