London (Parliament News) – The shadow chancellor accuses Rishi Sunak of lying after a Treasury official warns ministers not to attribute a £2,000 tax rise claim to civil servants. Sunak stands by an attack during the debate.
The shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has blamed Rishi Sunak of lying after it appeared that a senior Treasury official cautioned Tory ministers not to say civil servants were behind their assertion that a Labour government would increase taxes by £2,000.
The prime minister declared his ITV head-to-head debate with Keir Starmer, stating “independent Treasury officials” had commanded Labour’s policies “and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for everyone”.
Was Rishi Sunak’s Tax Claim Backed by Civil Servants?
In a note to the Labour Party on Monday, James Bowler, the Treasury permanent secretary, stated ministers had been told not to suggest civil servants had produced the figure at the heart of the Tory attack. Bowler stated the figures should not be attributed to the civil service. In his note to Darren Jones, the shadow Treasury chief secretary, he expressed a Tory document “includes costs beyond those provided by the civil service”.
“Costings emanated from other sources or produced by other associations should not be presented as having been created by the civil service,” he stated in a letter to Jones on 3 June.
“I have reminded ministers and advisers that this should be the case.”
Did Labour Clarify Their Tax Policy in the Debate?
Reeves stated: “Rishi Sunak lied 12 times in the debate last night about Labour’s tax plans. The truth is it’s the Conservatives who have taken the tax burden to the highest it’s been in 70 years. That is the Conservatives’ record and their legacy.”
The figure comes from a paper produced by the Tories which made a number of hypotheses to estimate the cost that might be connected to potential Labour policies, which they calculated would cost £38.5bn in total. The Tories argued this would result in tax rises totalling £2,094 for each working household.
Did Keir Starmer Disprove Rishi Sunak’s Tax Allegations?
Sunak stated Starmer’s policies would “raid” pension pots and raise taxes on families.
Starmer appeared slow to push back on Sunak’s tax claims. However, the shadow paymaster general, Jonathan Ashworth, said late on Tuesday night that the Labour leader had been “very clear” that the attack “was absolute garbage”.
Ashworth expressed: “I feel that Rishi Sunak was exposed as desperate last night – desperately lying about Labour’s tax plans, making accusations about Labour’s tax plans which are categorically untrue. Labour will not put up income tax, will not put up national insurance, will not put up VAT.
Are Tories Misrepresenting Labour’s Tax Policies?
“Rishi Sunak was resorting to lying because he is desperate and what do desperate people do when in a corner? They lie. We saw it with Boris Johnson over parties in Downing Street in lockdown, and Rishi Sunak has disclosed himself as no better and no different than Boris Johnson with his lies last night.”
The prime minister stated in his opening statement: “Beyond raising your taxes and raiding your pensions, no one knows what Labour would actually do. But you know what I would do? I’ll cut your taxes, protect your pension and reduce immigration.”
Sunak went on to later state that Starmer would “reverse all of the changes I’ve made” which would “cost everyone and you thousands of pounds”. The Labour leader took some while to completely rubbish Sunak’s suits but eventually stated: “This £2,000 he keeps saying it’s going to cost is absolute garbage.”