A minister refused to rule out further tax rises before the next general election despite a report concluding the tax burden is on course to rise by more in the current parliament than during any other since the Second World War. 

Andrew Griffith, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, insisted the Government does still believe in reducing the tax burden. 

But when asked if he could commit to no further tax rises from the current Government he was unable to do so. 

He told Times Radio: “Look, I don’t think any responsible Treasury minister is going to give you that commitment.”

He told Sky News that “this is still a Government that believes in taking people out of tax and reducing the tax burden”. 

His comments came after a report published overnight by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found the tax burden is on course to rise from 33pc of GDP in 2019 to 37pc by next year. 

That would be the biggest leap during a parliament since comparable records began and likely the largest jump outside of war time.

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