UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the upcoming autumn Budget will be “painful,” indicating that his government will require significant sacrifices from the public.
Speaking from the Downing Street garden, Starmer noted that short-term hardships are necessary to achieve long-term benefits, especially as the government seeks to address a £22 billion deficit allegedly left by the previous Conservative administration.
Starmer said that the wealthiest should shoulder a greater share of the burden, though he did not specify which taxes might be increased. He assured that his government would not raise National Insurance, income tax, or VAT, but did leave the door open for changes to inheritance tax, capital gains tax, and pension tax relief.
The Prime Minister stressed that the situation inherited from the former Conservative government was worse than anticipated, describing it as both an economic and societal “black hole.” He argued that the challenges faced by the country, including recent riots, are a direct result of 14 years of Conservative governance, which he claimed failed to address the underlying issues.
The opposition has strongly criticized Starmer’s statements, with Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch accusing him of misleading the public and failing to deliver on campaign promises. Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller also labeled Starmer’s remarks as a distraction from what he described as broken promises.
Labor has defended its approach, with Starmer arguing that difficult decisions are necessary to rebuild the country. He reiterated his commitment to restoring integrity and honesty in government, a theme he connected to the symbolic setting of his speech, the Downing Street rose garden, which he linked to controversies under previous Conservative leadership.
The Prime Minister’s remarks have drawn mixed reactions across the political spectrum, with calls from the SNP and Green Party for more ambitious reforms and criticism of Labour’s refusal to tax the super-rich. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for bold action from Labour to address what he described as the Conservatives’ “toxic legacy”.
With input from BBC and Financial Times.
