Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out tax rises on working people, despite saying politicians should «stick to their word». During a Sky News interview at the G20 summit in South Africa, Starmer declined 12 times to recommit to Labour's manifesto pledge not to increase taxes on workers ahead of Wednesday's Budget.
The Prime Minister told Sky News: «Yes, it is important that politicians stick to their word.» But when pressed repeatedly on whether Labour would honor its 2024 manifesto promise, he said only that «we've obviously got big decisions to make in the Budget» against «a very difficult backdrop».
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is widely expected to raise taxes on November 26 to bridge a multi-billion-pound gap in spending plans. The Conservatives have warned that extending the freeze on income tax thresholds would breach Labour's manifesto commitment not to hit working people with extra taxes.
Economic pressure mounts
Reeves faces challenging conditions as she prepares her Budget statement. Government borrowing was £3 billion higher in October than expected. The economy is grappling with weak growth, persistent inflation, and an anticipated downgrade to official productivity forecasts.
In an interview with The Times Magazine, Reeves said: «Borrowing is too high, but you can't cut it overnight. Public services are a mess, but we haven't got loads of money to throw at them and we have to use what we've got well. We can't just carry on like this and muddle through. We have to make some decisions to get on a different path.»
She admitted being «not even sure any more what the popular path is» amid competing demands for wealth taxes from some politicians and heavy spending cuts from others. «There are lots of people who say cut taxes and the economy will grow, but what spending would they cut?» she asked.
Chancellor hits back at critics
Reeves also responded sharply to her critics, saying she was «sick of people mansplaining how to be Chancellor to me». She described some criticism as coming from «boys who now write newspaper columns».
«I recognise that I've got a target on me. You can see that in the media; they're going for me all the time. It's exhausting,» she said. «But I'm not going to let them bring me down by undermining my character or my confidence. I've seen off a lot of those boys before and I'll continue to do so.»
Downing Street said the Prime Minister «is committed to equality, women's rights». A spokesman added: «You have a Cabinet that has a number of extremely able, powerful women in key positions.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
