<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3POkju_0wP4zzo300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3POkju_0wP4zzo300" width="1024" height="576" ></figure><h2>Budget will get Britain working, PM says</h2>13:17"This Budget will help to get Britain working," the PM says on X, following his pre-Budget speech. "It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, so those who can work, will work," he adds. <h2>What did Keir Starmer say in his speech?</h2>published at 13:0213:02<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2W3XsC_0wP4zzo300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2W3XsC_0wP4zzo300" width="800" height="449" ></figure>We've just heard from Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he laid the groundwork for Wednesday's Budget.Here are some of the most important snippets from his speech:<ul><li>The PM starts by saying the Budget will shed a "harsh light" on the state of the British economy and that the government will stick to the pledge of returning the country to the service of working people </li><li>As part of the plans, Starmer says Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a £240 million investment for public services</li><li>The prime minister also hails the Budget as a "moment of pride" for the UK as he highlights Reeves will be the first woman to deliver it</li></ul><ul><li>Starmer says the new measures will prevent "devastating austerity" as he accuses the Conservatives of running away from the crisis plaguing public services during their tenure </li><li>Starmer adds his government will beruthless in clamping down on government waste and tax avoidance, adding "every penny counts"</li><li>He also confirms the £2 cap on bus fares will end but notes a new £3 limit is going to be introduced</li><li>The prime minister adds he can't guarantee more tax increases won't come after the Budget as he insists "fixing the foundations" of the country is the priority </li></ul><h2>Do taxes always rise after elections?</h2>published at 12:4712:47By Gerry GeorgievaIf Rachel Reeves raises taxes in her first Budget on Wednesday it should come as no great surprise because every election since 1992 has been followed by tax rises, apart from 2017.According to Gemma Tetlow, chief economist at the Institute for Government, this has happened “even in cases where the party elected had not mentioned this in its manifesto”. She cites the 2002 increase in National Insurance contributions - which wasn’t mentioned in Labour’s 2001 manifesto, and VAT increases in 1993 and 2010 that weren’t in the Conservative manifestos.This is partly because elections are also usually followed by multi-year spending reviews, and what is in the first Budget has a big impact on what a new government can spend on its priorities.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4LWWUM_0wP4zzo300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4LWWUM_0wP4zzo300" width="800" height="800" ></figure><h2>Watch: Working people know who they are</h2>published at 12:3712:37Speaking in the West Midlands, Sir Keir Starmer stressed that working people are the "golden thread" that runs through his government's agenda.<h2>Your questions answered</h2>published at 12:3012:30Do you have a question you’d like our experts to answer ahead of Wednesday’s Budget? You can get in touch in the following ways: <ul><li>Email yourquestions@bbc.co.uk, external</li><li>WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803</li><li>Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay, external</li><li>Please read our terms &amp; conditions and privacy policy</li></ul>In some cases a selection of your comments and questions will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. <h2>Starmer makes a clear political choice ahead of Budget</h2>published at 12:2412:24After Sir Keir Starmer’s speech we now know a little more about what will be in the Budget.The prime minister took the somewhat unusual step of confirming rumours that the £2 cap on bus fares in many areas of England would be scrapped, as planned under existing spending plans, and replaced by a new £3 cap.Most of the other things we learnt from the speech were more impressionistic than concrete, but still significant.Starmer promised to “prevent devastating austerity” in public spending. He pointed out that, unlike New Labour entering government from opposition in 1997, he had never promised to stick to Conservative spending plans. In essence what he was saying here was that yes, some taxes would go up, but for the purpose of spending more on public services. That is a clear political choice which is becoming clearer with every comment and briefing in advance of the Budget.The prime minister also maintained his rhetoric about “working people” despite the difficulties he and other ministers have got into producing a definition of the term.Starmer made clear he has little time for those definitional disputes, saying that “the working people of this country know exactly who they are”.If they do, the question after Wednesday’s Budget is whether they feel the choices the prime minister has made on tax are a fair trade for more spending on public services. <h2>Starmer says small businesses are backbone of country</h2>published at 12:1412:14The Express and Star ask the prime minister about investment. They ask what would he say to give confidence to small business owners. Starmer says they are the "backbone" of the country and the economy, and therefore it is "important" they take steps to "make it easier" for small businesses to operate. He thanks the audience, and then leaves the stage. <h2>Will we have to wait five years for improvement?</h2>published at 12:1312:13A journalist from LBC brings up a comment Starmer made earlier about people judging the government on whether they feel better off in five years. He asks if that's how long it will take for things to improve.Starmer answers with a sharp no, saying that the country is already seeing more investment.<h2>Starmer says Labour will deliver change people voted for</h2>published at 12:1212:12Next the prime minister is asked about new polling that suggests that the public think that the Budget's priorities should be about cutting taxes. So are Starmer's priorities wrong?"No," he says.For too long we have pretended that we can cut tax and spend more, Starmer says, drawing a rare round of applause from those in attendance. "Everyone knows the NHS is broken," he says, "and we're going to fix it.""What we're not going to do, is continue the fiction that got us here in the first place.""People voted for change and we'll deliver it," the prime minister says.<h2>Will fuel duty hike be a 'direct hit' for working people?</h2>published at 12:0812:08A journalist from The Sun asks the prime minister whether a hike on fuel duty would be a "direct hit" to working people. Starmer says he won't pre-empt the budget but understands how important the question is. <h2>Starmer wraps up, but plenty more to come</h2>published at 12:0712:07That's it from the prime minister, but there's plenty more to be said on our end.Stick with us as we bring you the last questions from the press conference, as well as the latest updates and analysis. Starmer says he cannot guarantee there won't be more tax increases after Wednesday's Budgetpublished at 12:0612:06The Times then pushes Keir Starmer more about tax rises, asking if this will be the last budget that raises taxes? Starmer says they are "fixing the foundations" with this budget. He says nobody wants tax rises, but says he cannot give a "cast-iron guarantee" that in the future there won't be more tax hikes. The government is planning to do things upfront in this budget, he adds, and that "tough stuff" is coming now. <h2>Starmer avoids acknowledging change to borrowing rules</h2>published at 12:0312:03The next question is about the changing borrowing rules and whether debt will become more expensive.Starmer doesn't answer the question specifically, but says the government has to move to invest in the future of the country.<h2>Starmer says new £3 cap on bus fares will be announced this week</h2>published at 12:0212:02The PM is now asked about scrapping a £2 cap on bus fares in England, rumoured to be included in the Budget.Starmer says the Tories only funded this capped fare to the end of 2024.He says he understands how reliant many people are on this cap, particularly in rural England and announces that there will be a new £3 cap fare until 2025 announced this weekThe prime minister is also asked about the Labour MP Mike Amesbury after CCTV footage emerged appearing to show him punching a man to the ground.Starmer says Amesbury has been suspended, that a police investigation is ongoing and that he can't say any more.<h2>Government protecting most vulnerable people with pension credits, PM says</h2>published at 11:5811:58Next, a question from GB news.They ask Starmer what he would say to a pensioner who says he regrets voting Labour after the withdrawal of the universal winter fuel payment for pensioners. Starmer says he "genuinely understands the concerns people have". He says the government is "protecting the most vulnerable" with pension credits.Focusing on "fixing the foundations" allows the government to commit to triple lock on pensions, he adds, which he says means every pensioner will be better off under Labour. <h2>We need to run towards the tough decisions - Starmer</h2>published at 11:5611:56<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2U98Zi_0wP4zzo300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2U98Zi_0wP4zzo300" width="800" height="449" ></figure>Sky News continues on the theme of tax.The journalist asks the prime minister if he is "certain that you're front-loading the pain" and if so, can he "rule out more big tax hikes" in future budgets? Starmer says he believes they need to "run towards the tough decisions", and "fix the foundations" but acknowledges it is "tough" which is why they are making these decisions. "It is the right thing to do," he says. He references a business investment summit a few weeks ago, calling it a "proof point" that these decisions trigger needed investment. They got £63bn of investment at the summit, he adds. <h2>Starmer says he won't continue 14 years of 'fiction'</h2>published at 11:5411:54The second question comes from ITV, who asks Starmer to be honest about this budget raising taxes for working people.Starmer says he is concerned with the payslip of working people and that it matters that there is not more tax within it. He says that honesty is really important, and that he is not prepared to continue 14 years of "fiction".Where there are problems we will identify and fix them, he says.He then repeats the earlier challenge to critics, to be specific about the alternatives they propose.<h2>Will there be 'sneaky tax rises'?</h2>published at 11:5111:51The prime minister is taking questions now, starting with the BBC's Vicki Young.She asks about whether the Budget will include "sneaky tax rises" where increases in National Insurance rates for employers will actually be passed on to working people.Starmer says he will stick to his promise not to increase taxes on working people and that these measures are needed to stabilise the economy.Everyone knows when dealing with damp that you need to fix the problem, not paint over it, the prime minister says again.<h2>Starmer finishes his speech</h2>published at 11:5011:50Starmer ends his speech by saying the government will deliver the priorities mentioned through stability, investment and reform. "That is the course we set this week... and the change that we will deliver," he says. <h2>Government will publish 'clear ambitions' for parliament, Starmer says</h2>published at 11:4911:49<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1ttnj5_0wP4zzo300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1ttnj5_0wP4zzo300" width="800" height="450" ></figure>Starmer says on every mission, the government will publish "clear ambitions" for parliament and track their progress against them so people in the country can see how they "measure up". Working people will not "accept any excuses" he adds. He mentions their policies of building more houses, ensuring children attend schools, neighbourhood policing, improving living standards and cutting NHS waiting lists. </div></body>

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Starmer says Budget will include tax rises to prevent austerity

\"This Budget will help to get Britain working,\" the PM says on X, following his pre-Budget speech. \"It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, so those who can work, will work,\" he adds. What did Keir Starmer say in his speech?. published...

"This Budget will help to get Britain working," the PM says on X, following his pre-Budget speech. "It will pave the way for reforms that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, so those who can work, will work," he adds. What did Keir Starmer say in his speech?. published...

Starmer says Budget will include tax rises to prevent austerity

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