DAILY MAIL COMMENT: End the sadistic Budget briefings

Once upon a time, those involved in the writing of a Budget would abide by a strict code of omerta.

Not a word about what it might or might not contain was uttered in public before the statement was read to the Commons.

How times have changed. These days, a certain amount of kite-flying has become par for the course for any government.

Ministers umming and aahing about the wisdom of a spending cut here or a tax hike there may brief a newspaper in order to gauge public reaction.

Shamefully, Rachel Reeves has taken this practice to extremes. By delaying her first Budget until October 30, the Chancellor has allowed a psychodrama to play out.

Rachel Reeves chairs a meeting of the National Wealth Fund Taskforce

The Chancellor is even coming for our holidays with a planned increase in air passenger duty (file photo)

Ms Reeves is using a fictitious £40billion black hole in the public finances to justify a huge tax grab on Middle England.

Speculation on freezing tax thresholds for longer, pension raids, hiking National Insurance contributions, inheritance tax and stamp duty have hit the headlines.

The Chancellor is even coming for our holidays. A planned increase in air passenger duty is bound to push up the price of foreign getaways. So much for vowing not to pick the pockets of working people!

For millions, this drip, drip, drip of briefings about how Labour plans to snatch their hard-earned money has felt like Chinese water torture – positively sadistic.

Businesses, those near retirement, those on fixed incomes and anyone planning to invest are all in limbo. It is creating the very uncertainty Ms Reeves says she is anxious to avoid. How is this good for the economy?

While ministers have hosed the public sector unions with cash, those who strive to look after their families and save for the future face being squeezed for every penny.

Far from fuelling the growth that she says is her priority, Ms Reeves’s measures risk suppressing it. That would put Britain on a pathway which inexorably makes us poorer.

There is still time for the Chancellor to change her mind. Until the ink is dry on the Budget, it can be rewritten.

Channel tragedy

Another day, another tragedy in the Channel. This time, a baby died after an overloaded boat carrying migrants sank in the treacherous waters.

Wringing his hands, Sir Keir Starmer says he is ‘absolutely determined’ to stop the smuggling gangs, but the Prime Minister’s actions have only emboldened them.

Border Force officials escort migrants into the Port of Dover on Friday

He foolishly scrapped the Rwanda scheme and tore up Rishi Sunak’s law disqualifying illegal migrants from claiming asylum. The effect has been devastating.

Since Labour took office, more migrants have arrived on our shores in small boats, than under the Tories this year.

Unless Sir Keir puts in place a genuine deterrent, others will drown – and he’ll stand accused of having blood on his hands.

A fight against evil

Speaking in Berlin yesterday, Sir Keir said ‘no one should mourn’ the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israel.

He’s right, of course, but doesn’t the Prime Minister feel a little embarrassed?

Sir Keir Starmer said in Berlin yesterday that no-one should mourn the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

If Israel had heeded British calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, the monster who masterminded the October 7 attacks wouldn’t have got the justice he deserved.

Hamas and Hezbollah are intent on the annihilation of the Jewish state. So its path to peace is unlikely to be achieved by appeasing these terror groups.

Israel is fighting pure evil. Britain and its allies should give it our full backing.