“I’d inform her that the Budget is actually next week. We’ve only got one week to go.”
Only last week the right-wing press were cheering on Tory leader Kemi Badenoch after claiming that she was ‘beginning to find her feet at PMQs’, and yet Badenoch endured yet another humiliating appearance in the Commons today after making a major gaffe.
Badenoch attempted to embarrass the Labour government over an alleged ‘U-turn’ over increasing income tax in the budget set to be delivered next week. Government sources said that the Chancellor decided against raising income tax rates at the Budget after receiving better-than-expected economic forecasts.
The Tory leader asked at PMQs: “Can the prime minister tell us why his government is the first government in history to float increasing income tax rates only to then U-turn on it all after the actual Budget?”
Keir Starmer replied: “I’d inform her that the Budget is actually next week. We’ve only got one week to go.”
Starmer did go on to confirm at PMQs that income tax thresholds will be frozen in the Budget.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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