Keir Starmer faced fury after claiming working people “know exactly who they are” following weeks of confusion over who he will protect in the Budget.
The Prime Minister issued a bleak message to the country that admitted that tax hikes are coming and said the public has to be “realistic” about the economic position.
Sir Keir said his Budget will “light the way” to a better future for Britain.
But Tories accused him of “incompetence and ideological hostility” to most of the country after he doubled down on his promise to shield working people from the rises.
Shadow Treasury MinisterJohn Glen said: Labour fought the general election utilising ‘working people’ with no definition of who they were; many voted Labour hoping they would be safe. The range of definitions offered shows Labour does not understand working people and it now seems inevitable most workers’ taxes will rise on budget day.”
Former Conservative MP Bob Seely said: “They may know who they are, but you don’t seem to, Keir Starmer.
“The first 100 days showed your sense of entitlement.
“The next 100 days will show your incompetence & ideological hostility to so much of the country.”
Sir Keir said the Budget will embrace the “harsh light of fiscal reality” but “better days are ahead”.
The Prime Minister said the country is facing “unprecedented” economic challenges.
He added: “We have to be realistic about where we are as a country. This is not 1997, when the economy was decent but public services were on their knees.
“And it’s not 2010, where public services were strong, but the public finances were weak. These are unprecedented circumstances.
“And that’s before we even get to the long-term challenges ignored for 14 years: an economy riddled with weakness on productivity and investment, a state that needs urgent modernisation to face down the challenge of a volatile world.”
