Sir Robert wrote a letter expressing concern over statements made by Ms Trott and Mr Afolami regarding tax levels. He noted that Ms Trott's claim of lower taxes since 2010 was misleading, as it compared current tax bills to a hypothetical scenario where tax thresholds had risen in line with inflation since 2010.
Robert's letter also criticized Mr Afolami for not clarifying that his statement about "taxes coming down" referred only to the £450 National Insurance cut. He emphasized the importance of precise language to maintain public trust and avoid the need for subsequent clarifications by government officials.
Furthermore, in a recent appearance on the BBC PM program, Ms Trott faced criticism from presenter Evan Davis over her statements on debt levels. Davis questioned how the government could claim to be reducing debt while simultaneously proposing tax cuts, given official projections indicating that debt was actually rising. Ms Trott defended her position by stating that debt was falling as a percentage of GDP, though Davis disputed this, arguing that absolute debt levels were increasing.