Sir Keir Starmer has declined to rule out further tax rises later this year, amid growing pressure from the opposition over Labour’s economic direction.
In a fiery exchange during Prime Minister’s Questions, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of deflecting blame and dodging accountability.
She challenged him directly, saying: “He needs to stop whining about what the last government did.”
Badenoch also took aim at Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, accusing her of undermining the Government by leaking controversial tax proposals to the media. “She is on manoeuvres,” Badenoch said. “She knew exactly what she was doing when she briefed that into the papers. She is demanding eight new tax rises — as if we haven’t suffered enough.”
She continued: “People out there are struggling, businesses are struggling. We cannot have more tax rises. Will the Prime Minister rule out new tax rises this year?”
Sir Keir sidestepped the question, choosing instead to hit back at the Conservative record. “She has not learnt or changed,” he replied. “They lost the election because of their appalling record — on the NHS, on health, on prisons, you name it.”
Turning to Rayner’s role, Starmer defended his deputy, saying she was focused on delivering key Labour pledges. “The Deputy Prime Minister is working with the Chancellor, building 1.5 million new homes, reforming our planning system, putting £7 billion into our economy, and bringing forward our employment rights bill — the single biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.”
More to follow..
The clash comes amid renewed speculation over Labour’s tax policy, following a leaked memo from Rayner proposing measures that critics claim would hit savers, investors and business owners.
With a fiscal event expected later this year, pressure is mounting on the Government to clarify whether further tax hikes are on the table. So far, Starmer has remained non-committal.
