Keir Starmer defends Labour’s tax rises ahead of its Budget announcement

Evening Standard

Transcript

00:00If people want to criticise the path we choose,

00:05that's their prerogative.

00:07But let them spell out a different direction.

00:13If they think the state has grown too big,

00:16let them tell working people

00:18which public services they would cut.

00:22If they think tax rises are unfair,

00:25let them tell working people

00:26which taxes they'd raise instead.

00:30If they don't see our long-term investment

00:32in infrastructure as necessary,

00:34let them explain to working people

00:37how they would grow the economy for them.

00:40And if they think that taxes are too high,

00:43but they don't want to cut public spending,

00:46let them tell working people

00:49why the lessons of Liz's trust no longer apply.

00:53Because I've said it before, and I'll say it again,

00:57the time is long overdue for politicians in this country

01:00to level with you honestly

01:02about the trade-offs this country faces,

01:06to stop insulting your intelligence

01:07with the chicanery of easy answers.

01:11Working people know that hard choices are necessary.

01:16They lived through the Liz's trust episode.

01:19They lived through the cost of living crisis.

01:21So they know that the things they want from us,

01:25protecting their living standards,

01:27rebuilding our nation, fixing our public services,

01:31they know that this can only be achieved

01:35alongside economic stability.

01:38There are no shortcuts.

01:41No, what they want to see on Wednesday

01:44is a country on a different path,

01:47making different choices.

01:50They don't want to pay the price anymore

01:52in times of crisis,

01:54because our economic foundations are weak.

01:57And they don't want to see the proceeds of growth,

02:00which could serve their family, their community,

02:02their public services,

02:04instead always serving those at the top.

02:07They want change, and that is what they will get,

02:11because that is the mandate we're elected to deliver,

02:14the only path consistent with our driving purpose

02:18to return Britain to the service of working people.

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