Keir Starmer is gearing up for his weekly grilling at Prime Minister’s Questions.
The Prime Minister is dealing with a row over meeting Taylor Swift, as well as questions over the Budget. He also faces continued pressure to U-turn on cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners. Rishi Sunak, who is still leader of the opposition, is likely to mention at least one of these areas.
It emerged last night that Mr Starmer and his family met Swift at Wembley on the final night of the Eras Tour in London – a meeting the PM had seemingly tried to keep quiet. But it has now come to light amid a row over the pop star being granted taxpayer-funded blue-light escorts to her gig. She was given the VIP security – usually reserved for royals and Cabinet ministers – after a foiled terror attack on her concerts in Austria the week before.
Meanwhile, Mr Starmer has refused to rule out an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) at the Budget. The Tories are attempting to claim that hiking NICs would be a breach of its manifesto pledge despite themselves having pointed out during the election that this was unclear. Labour promised in its manifesto not to raise taxes on “working people”.
More generally it’s expected that the winter fuel payments cuts for around 10 million pensioners will be raised, with MPs from across the political spectrum angry over the decision.
(
Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publis)
Follow live updates below…
PMQs in shadow of tax rises speculation
Rachel Reeves is looking to make up to £40billion of tax rises and spending cuts in this month’s Budget as the Government seeks to avoid a return to austerity, it is understood.
The Chancellor told ministers in a Cabinet meeting on Monday that plans to fill the “£22billion black hole” she has repeatedly cited in the UK’s finances will be enough only to “keep public services standing still”.
The Treasury is understood to have identified a far larger £40billion funding gap which Ms Reeves will seek to plug to protect key departments from real-terms cuts and put the economy on a firmer footing.
Winter Fuel Payment pressure
Budget suspicions
The PM is likely to be pressed on speculation that employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) could be increased at the Budget. Mr Starmer gave his strongest hint yet that it could be hiked yesterday when he refused to rule it out.
Rishi Sunak could likely go on the attack on this. The Tories are attempting to claim that hiking NICs would be a breach of its manifesto pledge. This is despite themselves having pointed out during the election that they had only ruled out raising employee national insurance (not employers). Labour promised in its manifesto not to raise taxes on “working people”.
Taylor Swift could be raised in the Commons
An ongoing row related to Taylor Swift has dominated the news this week. It emerged last night that Mr Starmer and his family met Swift at Wembley on the final night of the Eras Tour in London – a meeting the PM had seemingly tried to keep quiet.
It has now come to light amid a row over the pop star being granted taxpayer-funded blue-light escorts to her gig. She was given the VIP security – usually reserved for royals and Cabinet ministers – after a foiled terror attack on her concerts in Austria the week before. There are questions over the government’s involvement in the police’s decisions. But the Met and No10 both insist police decisions are operationally independent.
But the story has come together in a perfect storm for the PM. He had also accepted free tickets worth £2,600 to watch her concerts, which he later repaid after a row over accepting freebies. Mr Starmer could end up fielding questions on a range of aspects of the story today.
Keir Starmer gears up for 12pm PMQs
Keir Starmer is gearing up for his weekly grilling at Prime Minister’s Questions.