Keir Starmer fails to name one tax he would cut
Sir Keir Starmer failed to name one tax he would cut if Labour takes power at the next general election. The Labour leader was repeatedly asked which tax he would slash first during a grilling on Sky News.
Sir Keir insisted he wanted to bring down the tax burden for working people but failed to highlight one in particular.
Asked which is the first tax he would cut, he said: "The burden on working people is too high when it comes to tax so that's where we would be looking to reduce that burden.
"Frankly the sooner we can do that the better. But we do have to recognise that we now have the highest tax burden since the Second World War under this government. So we've got very, very high tax."
Pressed again which tax he would look to slash first, Sir Keir repeated that he would be looking at the burden on working people.
The Labour leader added: "But just hear me out because we need to assess why is it that we've got such high tax. Now I think it's because we've got a low-growth economy because we've had stagnation effectively in the economy for 14 years.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Politics news Join us on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
Trending
"Therefore we've got to do more than have a discussion about tax, we've got to have a discussion about how we grow the economy.
"That's primarily why I've set out the idea of mission-driven government, purpose-driven government, and made the number one mission, if we are privileged to come in to serve, to grow the economy and to make sure that living standards across the whole of the country are going up."
Asked a third time if he could list a single tax which would definitely be lower after five years in power, he said: "Well I want to reduce the burden on working people. The only way to do that in the long term is to grow the economy.
"What you are seeing at the moment from the Prime Minister is he is floating tax cuts.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Sir Keir Starmer denounces Tories' 'pretend' inheritance tax cuts
216 Comments
Martin Lewis accuses Jeremy Hunt of 'giving with one hand, taking with another' in clash
49 Comments
‘You are timid!' Beth Rigby has Keir Starmer squirming over massive Labour U-turn
458 Comments
Britain's 'dark days' are behind us, Jeremy Hunt tells nation
153 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer's diatribe of doom shows he is a broken record, writes Richard Holden
57 Comments
Jeremy Hunt tells Labour to stop criticising from the sidelines and set out tax cut plans
15 Comments
DWP state pension increase: Exact date your money will increase by 8.5 percent
218 Comments
Labour MP blasted after admitting ￡86k a year salary leaves her 'increasingly short'
567 Comments
Britons on low incomes risk paying ￡401 more in stealth tax - how you can avoid it
11 Comments
Labour MP issues damning verdict on Sir Keir Starmer's readiness to be PM
234 Comments
Tax-free state pension demands surge as Jeremy Hunt and DWP face fresh calls
35 Comments
State pension should be tax-free, says petition as anger grows over looming bills
70 Comments
Local residents break down in tears after being priced out of UK's prettiest coastal towns
24 Comments
HMRC National Insurance warning: Workers urged to check payslips after cut
Comments
Rishi Sunak is planning one major change in 2024 - and it's about time
3 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer fails to commit to raising income tax thresholds if Labour wins election
182 Comments
Jeremy Hunt admits he doesn't know whether he can afford more tax cuts yet
57 Comments
Rishi Sunak hints tax cuts could be funded by 'difficult decisions' on welfare
464 Comments
Jeremy Hunt's subtle hint that he's about to abolish inheritance tax forever
254 Comments
Rishi Sunak vows to make further tax cuts ahead of UK autumn general election
95 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer denounces Tories' 'pretend' inheritance tax cuts
216 Comments
Martin Lewis accuses Jeremy Hunt of 'giving with one hand, taking with another' in clash
49 Comments
‘You are timid!' Beth Rigby has Keir Starmer squirming over massive Labour U-turn
458 Comments
Britain's 'dark days' are behind us, Jeremy Hunt tells nation
153 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer's diatribe of doom shows he is a broken record, writes Richard Holden
57 Comments
Jeremy Hunt tells Labour to stop criticising from the sidelines and set out tax cut plans
15 Comments
DWP state pension increase: Exact date your money will increase by 8.5 percent
218 Comments
Labour MP blasted after admitting ￡86k a year salary leaves her 'increasingly short'
567 Comments
Britons on low incomes risk paying ￡401 more in stealth tax - how you can avoid it
11 Comments
Labour MP issues damning verdict on Sir Keir Starmer's readiness to be PM
234 Comments
Tax-free state pension demands surge as Jeremy Hunt and DWP face fresh calls
35 Comments
State pension should be tax-free, says petition as anger grows over looming bills
70 Comments
Local residents break down in tears after being priced out of UK's prettiest coastal towns
24 Comments
HMRC National Insurance warning: Workers urged to check payslips after cut
Comments
Rishi Sunak is planning one major change in 2024 - and it's about time
3 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer fails to commit to raising income tax thresholds if Labour wins election
182 Comments
Jeremy Hunt admits he doesn't know whether he can afford more tax cuts yet
57 Comments
Rishi Sunak hints tax cuts could be funded by 'difficult decisions' on welfare
464 Comments
Jeremy Hunt's subtle hint that he's about to abolish inheritance tax forever
254 Comments
Rishi Sunak vows to make further tax cuts ahead of UK autumn general election
95 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer denounces Tories' 'pretend' inheritance tax cuts
216 Comments
Martin Lewis accuses Jeremy Hunt of 'giving with one hand, taking with another' in clash
49 Comments
‘You are timid!' Beth Rigby has Keir Starmer squirming over massive Labour U-turn
458 Comments
Britain's 'dark days' are behind us, Jeremy Hunt tells nation
153 Comments
Sir Keir Starmer's diatribe of doom shows he is a broken record, writes Richard Holden
57 Comments
Jeremy Hunt tells Labour to stop criticising from the sidelines and set out tax cut plans
15 Comments
DWP state pension increase: Exact date your money will increase by 8.5 percent
218 Comments
"But he is doing that in his own self-interest. He has run out of ideas. They are desperately thrashing around and trying to find the dividing lines to go into the election.
"It is not part of a strategy for growing the economy, it is simply picking tax cuts that the Prime Minister thinks might create a dividing line going into the election. That is the wrong way to govern.
"Whichever party you are in, it doesn't matter whether you are Conservative or whether you are Labour, to simply go down the road of desperately picking anything that creates a divide rather than having a strategy for the country is characteristic of what has gone wrong over the last 14 years."
Become an Express Premium member Support fearless journalism Read The Daily Express online, advert free Get super-fast page loading
Start 30-day
FREE trial
Related articles Lee Anderson warns of 'bigger threat than Labour' that could help Keir Starmer Sir Keir Starmer fails to commit to raising income tax thresholds if Labour wins Lee Anderson's brutal three-word takedown of Starmer as migrant views laid bare Labour MP issues damning verdict on Starmer's readiness to be PM Sir Keir Starmer's diatribe of doom shows he is a broken record