Wes Streeting says manifesto is ‘simply the beginning’ of spending
Labour‘s manifesto is not the ‘sum total’ of its spending plans, a shadow minister admitted yesterday, leaving the door open to a raft of concealed tax rises.
Wes Streeting gave the clearest hint yet that the party plans to spend more than it has set out in its blueprint for government, with the Conservatives saying he had ‘let the cat out of the bag’.
The Tories said any additional spending would need to be funded by tax hikes, adding that Labour was not being honest with the public.
Mr Streeting, the party’s health spokesman, refused four times to rule out increasing or revaluing council tax as he said the manifesto was ‘not a spending review’ or representative of ‘five years’ worth of budgets’.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting speaks to the media outside the BBC Broadcasting House
Labour leader Keir Starmer speaks to Nick Robinson on BBC1’s Panorama on Friday
Labour has said it won’t increase income tax, VAT or National Insurance – and last week belatedly ruled out adding capital gains tax to the sale of family homes following days of pressure.
But it has refused to say it won’t target levies such as council tax, fuel duty, capital gains rates or pensions.
The Tories seized on comments by Mr Streeting that he wanted to spend more money on the NHS when ‘conditions allow’.
He also told Sky News that he ‘would like to go further on so many fronts’, but ‘we are dealing with a fundamentally weak economy and public finances that are an absolute state’.
Labour says it will be able to spend more once the economy improves, but the Tories said the only way unfunded spending will be possible is through tax rises.
Asked to rule out future council tax hikes or revaluations on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Streeting refused four times – saying only he did not ‘want’ to raise taxes.
He said: ‘We don’t want to see the tax burden on working people increase. None of those pledges in our manifesto requires increases in council tax or increases in fuel duty or any of the other number of taxes the Tories are claiming we want to increase.’
The Tories also warned that homeowners with gardens could pay higher council tax under Labour if the party follows the same plan as the Labour-run government in Wales. The Welsh Government is accused of planning to use satellites to spy on those with big gardens to increase their rates. It could hit homeowners with an increase of £482 a year, the Conservatives said.
When asked about Labour’s spending plans not being enough for the cash-strapped NHS, Mr Streeting said: ‘A manifesto is not a spending review. A manifesto is not five years’ worth of budgets.’
He said the party would get the economy growing, meaning it would have ‘more available to either invest in our public services or put back into people’s pockets’.
But independent experts have warned that Sir Keir Starmer’s party would have to increase taxes unless he is willing to impose deep spending cuts or break the party’s own fiscal rules.
Keir Starmer delivers a speech on stage during the launching of Labour Party election manifesto
Transport Secretary Mark Harper (pictured) said Mr Streeting had ‘let the cat out of the bag’
The Left-wing Resolution Foundation think-tank said his approach ‘sets the scene for a parliament of tax rises and spending cuts for unprotected departments’.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies accused Labour of a ‘conspiracy of silence’ on the state of the economy and said Sir Keir faced a choice between tax rises and spending cuts if he won power.
The Labour manifesto confirms that the party is planning £8.5 billion in tax rises, which would take the UK’s overall tax burden to its highest level in history. Rishi Sunak has pledged £17 billion of tax cuts in his manifesto.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said Mr Streeting had ‘let the cat out of the bag’ that there’s Labour spending coming that’s not in the manifesto. He told GB News: ‘He said the manifesto is effectively a document to get them through an election campaign and that means only one thing, which is if you vote Labour there are unfunded spending promises and that can only mean more taxes on hard-working families.’
A Tory spokesman added: ‘Labour’s manifesto is just window dressing for the election campaign and they are planning to spend and tax more than they are telling the public. Labour is trying to get through this campaign by not being honest with families about the true cost of their plans.’
The two parties have been embroiled in a row about tax after Mr Sunak said Labour would increase taxes by £2,000. Senior Labour figures have dismissed the claims.
