The embarrassing mess Rachel Reeves finds herself in over the forthcoming Budget is a direct consequence of Labour’s dishonesty during the election campaign.
She and Sir Keir Starmer insisted their commitments were fully costed and that it would be possible to boost public spending without raising taxes for ordinary people.
As is becoming clearer, these were big, fat lies. And that exercise in political cynicism has now come back to haunt them.
With less than a fortnight until the Budget, every Whitehall official is rummaging down the back of the proverbial sofa, searching for cash to pay for her Left-wing plans.
Reeves makes her keynote speech during the International Investment Summit on October 14
Reeves and Sir Keir insisted their commitments were fully costed and that it would be possible to boost public spending without raising taxes for ordinary people
Ms Reeves claims the Tories bequeathed a fiscal ‘black hole’ that has grown to £40 billion. The trouble with arguing that, though, is she must find ways to fill it.
It’s obvious the Chancellor will have to impose some economically damaging tax hikes or reduce spending. How ironic that she is ensnared in her own trap.
While the Government is desperate to show a united front, there are tensions within Cabinet. Several ministers complain that their departments face shrunken settlements. But of course they’ll be tighter: Ms Reeves approved generous public sector wage rises. These ministries must cut their cloth accordingly.
Meanwhile, a Government which vowed not to raise tax on working people cannot credibly then hike fuel duty, employers’ National Insurance and capital gains tax.
Together, these taxes would hurt families’ budgets, lower wages, destroy jobs, damage pension pots and scare off investment.
Ms Reeves claims she has no choice. But does Britain need to splurge billions helping other countries tackle climate change? This is a choice – and an expensive one.
Labour says its priority is growth, but the only expansion we’ve seen so far is in the pay of state sector workers and the number of wealth creators fleeing our shores.
Ms Reeves’s stock as Chancellor is already on the slide. She must use the Budget to try to rebuild the goodwill she has lost.
Folly in the Far East
This paper welcomes Britain seeking to boost trade with other nations, but shouldn’t everyone have qualms about David Lammy fawning over China?
The Foreign Secretary travels to Beijing today, having criticised the Tories for refusing to engage with the regime. His naivety is barely believable.
China is not some benign partner. It’s one of the world’s cruellest and most corrupt dictatorships. It spies on us and infiltrates our political institutions. It destroyed freedom in Hong Kong, enslaved a million Uighurs and threatens to invade Taiwan.
Despite all this, Labour has handed the strategically vital Chagos Islands to China’s ally Mauritius, and refuses to enact legislation that would curb its espionage and malign influence on our universities.
China is a tyranny which views us as a foe. Mr Lammy will get nothing by rolling over to have his tummy tickled.
David Lammy arrives at 10 Downing Street for a cabinet meeting on October 15
Assassination of evil
The killing of Yahya Sinwar by Israel is welcome and marks a pivotal moment in the Gaza war. As Hamas leader, he orchestrated the October 7 attacks – the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
His death strikes a huge blow to the terror group. Might it now accept a ceasefire deal for the release of Israeli hostages?
Given Israel has assassinated the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, its enemies must know they can never sleep soundly.
An Israeli tank drives in an area near Israel’s southern border with the Gaza Strip on October 6
