James Cleverly slams Keir Starmer for u-turns on key promises after just a month in power
SIR Keir Starmer has already flip-flopped on key promises just one month into power, Tory leadership hopeful James Cleverly has blasted.
The former Home Secretary slammed the new PM for paving the way for tax hikes and breaking pledges on social care and immigration controls.
He told The Sun Tory warnings about Sir Keir’s “persistent flip-flopping were an underestimate”.
Mr Cleverly said: “Throughout June, we heard him and Rachel Reeves say they wouldn’t raise tax.
“As we expected, you name it and Labour will tax it.
“Your car, your job, your home.”
The Chancellor has ruled out increases to national Insurance, income tax and VAT in the upcoming Budget – prompting speculation she could increase the rate of capital gains tax and make changes to inheritance tax and pension tax relief to plug a £22bn “hole” in the public finances.
Mr Cleverly also blasted the new Government for scrapping the Conservative cap on social care costs, calling it a betrayal of families.
On immigration, the former Cabinet Minister said: “They said they want migration to come down, but now say they will scrap key measures that I put in place as Home Secretary, pausing the uplift in the family visa thresholds meaning more people can come here.”
He went on: “Under Labour, hard work and aspiration are becoming synonymous with a hefty tax burden and broken promises.”
'You name it and Labour will tax it'
By James Cleverly, Shadow Home Secretary
ONE month ago today, we wake up to our biggest ever election defeat.
A month on, what have we learnt about Keir Starmer?
Pretty much what we already knew, he flip-flops.
Except our warnings about his persistent flip-flopping were an underestimate.
Throughout June, we heard Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves say they wouldn’t raise tax.
As we expected, you name it and Labour will tax it. Your car, your job, your home.
They consider nothing out of reach. Don’t be fooled by what they say.
We Conservatives handed them an economy in good shape.
Inflation down, the highest economic growth in the G7 and interests rates now falling.
They didn’t need to raise your taxes, but they are rolling the pitch ready to do so at the Budget. And that is a conscious choice.
Labour decided to cave in to the junior doctors’ union and give a 22% pay rise and also splurge £8 billion on a taxpayer funded state energy company that Britain doesn’t need.
Having promised our pensioners that they wouldn’t touch the winter fuel allowance, 10 million pensioners are about to be stripped of it.
They promised to keep our Conservative cap on social care costs. Another lie.
They are scrapping the cap and failing another generation of families.
Then there’s immigration. They said they want migration to come down, but now say they will scrap key measures that I put in place as Home Secretary, pausing the uplift in the family visa thresholds meaning more people can come here.
Don’t forget, they have already scrapped our Rwanda deterrent and we have seen over 3,000 boat crossings in the one month that they have been in power.
Wherever you look, you’ll find another u-turn.
Keir Starmer promised to keep a veterans minister in the Cabinet. He hasn’t.
He said he would scrap his own personal pension tax perk. Surprise surprise, he hasn’t.
As usual with Keir Starmer, he says one thing to gain power and does another.
It’s what he did to become Labour leader and he’s doing it again now. He made a lot of promises to the British public during the election campaign and he is steadily u-turning on them.
As a Conservative, I believe that people who work hard and aspire to get on in life should be rewarded.
Under Labour, hard work and aspiration is already becoming synonymous with a hefty tax burden and not much else.
Labour need to come clean with the British public; they stood on a series of promises that they have no intention of keeping.