Newly-elected Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has hinted at imminent tax hikes after Labour swept to power in the General Election, with two key words in his speech revealing they could be on the way soon.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Saturday, Mr Starmer said he would have to take "tough decisions" on the issue.
Official forecasts suggest there may be a need for major spending cuts over the coming years - with the new government potentially facing difficult choices.
Responding to questions today, the Prime Minister said: “In relation to the tough decisions, we’re going to have to take them and take them early. And we will do that with a raw honesty.
“But that is not a sort of prelude to saying there’s some tax decision that we didn’t speak about before that we’re going to announce now."
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Sir Keir added: “It’s about the tough decisions to fix the problem and being honest about what they are.”
Mr Starmer said the election result, that saw Labour win in more than 400 constituencies, gave the party 'a mandate to do politics differently'.
He added: “I am restless for change and I think and hope that what you’ve already seen demonstrates that.”
“We have been planning for months to hit the ground running.
"But look, it is not an overnight exercise changing the country.”
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The Prime Minister said his government was about delivery, and that 'self-delivery was yesterday's politics'.
He added: “We clearly on Thursday got a mandate from all four nations.
“For the first time in 20-plus years, we have a majority in England, in Scotland and in Wales.
“And that is a clear mandate to govern for all four corners of the United Kingdom.”