Autumn Budget 2024: Sunak slams Labour for being dishonest with the British public
The leader of the opposition Rishi Sunak has slammed the government for “not being straight with the British people”, and argued that Labour’s Budget is “saddling our children and grandchildren with billions upon billions of debt”.
Speaking for the last time as leader of the Conservative Party, Sunak accused the new Labour government of mischaracterising the gravity of its inheritance for political ends.
“On the day that he took office, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to restore trust to British politics with actions, not words,” the leader of the opposition said.
“Well, today, his actions speak for themselves with a Budget that contains broken promise after broken promise and reveals the simple truth that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have not been straight with the British people.
“Time and again, time and again, we Conservatives warned Labour would tax, borrow and spend far beyond what they were telling the country. And time and again, they denied they had such plans.
“But today, the truth has come out, proof that they planned to do this all along, because today’s Budget sees the fiscal rules fiddled, borrowing increased by billions of pounds [and] inflation-busting handouts for the trade unions.”
In a fiery speech in the House of Commons, Sunak also accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of inventing the £22bn fiscal black hole, which she has used as the pre-text for the slew of tax rises announced in today’s Budget.
Flagship hikes included rises to Capital Gains Tax and Employer National Insurance Contributions.
‘A classic Labour agenda’
But the Conservative Party Leader said that Labour had concocted the black hole for political ends, arguing the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) made no mention of it in its analysis.
Sunak also branded the headline tax raises and reforms announced by Labour a “tidal wave of anti-business regulations”, claiming the party is led by people “who have no experience of business”.
He told the Commons: “Today, the OBR has forecast growth is going to be lower under this Government than it was forecast to be under the Conservatives, that’s the change they have brought.
“This is what happens when the Labour Party is led by people who have no experience of business. Relentlessly talking down our economy, delivering a tidal wave of anti-business regulations, destroying our flexible labour market, and raising taxes to the highest level in our country’s history.
“It’s a classic Labour agenda – higher taxes, higher borrowing, no plan for growth and working people paying the price.”