[kergonath]

That’s surprising only if you consider the Tories as being economically liberal. They are conservative in the sense that they look after the interests of the old aristocracy and a coalition of the rich. Their policies are intended to benefit a specific subset of the population. Their taxes (as well as things like the universal credit cuts) are perfectly aligned with that ideology.

They don’t have a problem with the concept of taxation, just taxation of the powerful.

[slibhb]

No it's surprising because austerity was the Tory platform until Boris Johnson.

[Brakenshire]

They increased UC for the pandemic, and then reduced it, much like the Furlough scheme, and both of those policies would have been considered centre or centre-left responses if done by a centre or centre-left party.

[ZeroGravitas]

> They are conservative in the sense that they look after the interests of the old aristocracy and a coalition of the rich.

I thought this was the literal definition of right wing? The side that supported the king against the democratic will of the people?

And is there anyone who has a rhetoric of "less taxes" who actually intends everyone to benefit? That seems like a mirage and it's all done in service of the rich and powerful.

Which is a hard policy to sell to ordinary people, unless you wrap it in some cheap bigotry to confuse them.