Sir Keir Starmer ‘conning public over size of black hole Tories left in public finances’

SIR Keir Starmer was yesterday accused of trying to con the public over the state of his ­government inheritance.

The Tories put the boot into the PM for warning things will get worse before they get better.

PA

PM Keir Starmer has been accused of trying to con the public over the state of his government inheritance[/caption]

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves has accused the Conservatives of leaving a £22billion black hole in this year’s budget[/caption]

In a speech tomorrow, he will say it will take time to “fix the foundations of this country”.

It comes ahead of what is reportedly dubbed a “fortnight of s***e” in which ministers will highlight Tory timebombs.

The speech will mark a week before MPs return to parliament — when Sir Keir will face questions on scrapping winter fuel payments for ten million pensioners and inflation-busting pay rises to train drivers.

Labour ministers have been laying bare Tory failures in a Whitehall exercise known as “bring out your dead” in the seven weeks since they won the general election.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will kick off the attacks by accusing the Conservatives of leaving a £22billion black hole in this year’s budget.

She is now considering ­raising more cash from capital gains tax and inheritance tax and pushing ahead with cuts to some Whitehall departments.

Tories have accused her of making up the black hole and say Ms Reeves is using it as a smokescreen for tax increases in the Autumn Budget.

But Sir Keir will ramp up the theme by declaring that things are worse than ever imagined.

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Starmer and [Rachel] Reeves were trying to con people during the campaign and they are trying to con us now about the inheritance we left.”

Priti Patel added: “Labour can’t hide their deceit.”