"In Whitehall we were very worried about the promises they made before the election on not raising taxes because we obviously knew the true state of the public finances that would face them on arrival,"
"Yes, this budget is going to be critical to the fortunes of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, which are intertwined,"
"But this budget is even higher stakes than that, because it raises the question of whether centre-ground governments can answe"
Simon Case, former head of the civil service, warned that the upcoming budget is pivotal for demonstrating whether centre-ground politicians can solve entrenched UK economic problems. Case believed Labour would likely have to break its pre-election pledge not to raise taxes because of the true state of public finances. The chancellor initially briefed that income tax might need to rise, though the Treasury later retreated; alternatives under consideration include levies on gambling and freezing income tax thresholds. Failure to address tax, spending, and debt could drive voters toward parties like Reform UK and imperil Labour leadership fortunes.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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