KEIR SHIFT
Keir Starmer vows to listen to Sun readers as he plans to ditch 7p fuel duty hike, but braces voters for other tax rises
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to unleash up to £40billion of tax rises
SIR Keir Starmer vowed to listen to Sun readers ahead of a make-or-break Fuel Duty decision in tomorrow’s Budget.
Our Keep It Down crusade to freeze the pump tax for a 14th consecutive year hit the accelerator last night.
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And the PM insisted he understood the plight of hard-pressed drivers.
But the glimmer of hope came as he braced the wider public for a Bleak Wednesday of tax rises — and warned raids on people’s pockets could continue for years to come.
Claiming the short-term pain was needed to end the chaos and decline of the Tory years, he said: “I will defend our tough decisions all day long.
“It is the right thing for our country and it is the only way to get the investment that we need.”
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to unleash up to £40billion of tax rises to fund a spending spree while avoiding devastating austerity for public services.
She has ruled out raising income tax, VAT and National Insurance on employees — but a rise in employer NICs seems all-but certain.
The raid on bosses has led to accusations that Labour is breaching its manifesto pledge not to increase taxes on working people.
Critics warn it is a tax on jobs that will hit recruitment.
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In the latest attempt to define working people, Sir Keir yesterday said “working people of this country know exactly who they are”.
Pressed by The Sun that a Fuel Duty rise would be a direct hit on the millions reliant on cars to get to work, he said: “I know this is of particular concern to your readers and I’m not going to pre-empt what happens on Wednesday.
Keir won't rule out MORE tax hikes next year & vows 'I'll defend tough calls'
“But obviously this is an issue that comes up at every Budget and you’ll see how we deal with it at this one. But I do understand how important it is, I know how important this is to you, your readers and others.”
The Sun has backed drivers as part of the Keep It Down campaign with FairFuelUK that has successfully called to keep Fuel Duty frozen since the start of 2011.
A More In Common poll found most voters opposed any move to reverse previous cuts to Fuel Duty.
In all, 55 per cent believe this would be the wrong decision while only 29 per cent support it.
But speculation is mounting Ms Reeves will reverse a 5p cut implemented in 2022 and reinstate an inflationary increase next week.
This could add £3.85 to the cost of filling up a typical family car.
Rachel Reeves said during the election campaign Labour’s plans ‘don’t require any further increases in taxes’. Keir Starmer has confirmed that this wasn’t true
Laura Trott
New figures from the AA show private motorists are contributing more than £43billion in tax to the Treasury.
A 3p fuel duty rise would add £518million to Treasury coffers, piling even more pressure on drivers, according to the motoring group.
President Edmund King said: “The motoring tax burden on car-owning households is already massive.”
Tory peer Craig Mackinlay warns in today’s paper that a Fuel Duty increase will “hit everybody, particularly the poorest and perversely and cruelly even the disabled”.
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Sir Keir yesterday used a speech in Birmingham to justify looming tax rises to fix crumbling public services.
But Tory Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: “Rachel Reeves said during the election campaign Labour’s plans ‘don’t require any further increases in taxes’. Keir Starmer has confirmed that this wasn’t true.”
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