Squirming Sir Keir Starmer attempted to blame his controversial winter fuel payments decision on the inheritance left by the Tories.

The Prime Minister used a major speech in the Downing Street rose garden to insist “things are worse than we ever imagined”.

Sir Keir repeated Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s claim of a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, and insisted “we have to fix the NHS, we have to fix our homes, our schools”.

Put to him that some people would not think Labour was honest during the election campaign and asked what further tax rises to expect in the budget, he said: “We were being honest about the situation before the election, we set out very clearly what we would be doing with tax rises.

“I made it clear on numerous occasions that national insurance, VAT and income tax would not go up, the triple lock for working people, and that remains the position.

“I also set out that our plans were fully funded and fully costed. What I did not expect was a £22 billion black hole.”

Sir Keir denied his remarks were “performative”, adding: “I didn’t want to have to deal with the winter fuel allowance for pensioners…

“We have to fix the NHS, we have to fix our homes, our schools, and pensioners rely on them in the same way as everybody else does, so I’m not going to pre-empt the Budget, but I am absolutely not going to accept that the inheritance that we have is anything other than dire – a £22 billion black hole.”

In his address, Sir Keir warned that Labour’s first budget in October would be “painful” as he paved the way for tax hikes.

He said: “There is a Budget coming in October, and it’s going to be painful. We have no other choice, given the situation that we’re in.

“Those with the broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden, and that’s why we’re cracking down on non-doms.

“Those who made the mess should have to do their bit to clean it up, that’s why we’re strengthening the powers of the water regulator and backing tough fines on the water companies that let sewage flood our rivers, lakes and seas.

“But just as when I responded to the riots, I’ll have to turn to the country and make big asks of you as well, to accept short-term pain for long-term good, the difficult trade off for the genuine solution.

“And I know that after all that you have been through, that is a really big ask and really difficult to hear. That is not the position we should be in. It’s not the position I want to be in, but we have to end the politics of the easy answer, that solves nothing.”

It comes amid a backlash over Labour restricting winter fuel payments to only those on pension credit, meaning around 10 milion older people will miss out.

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: “The Government are no longer promising to protect working people from their incoming tax raid because just like pensioners, working families are next in line for Labour’s tax hikes.

“After promising over 50 times in the election not to raise taxes on working people Labour are now rolling the pitch to break even more promises.

“The Chancellor is entitled to raise taxes to pay for her expensive choices and above inflation pay rises demanded by her union paymasters, but she should have had the courage to be honest from the start. This a betrayal of people’s trust and we will hold them to account for their actions.”