Reeves defends ‘fair and necessary’ £26bn tax raid after Budget backlash
Rachel Reeves insists Budget boosts economy and protects public services
- Rachel Reeves has defended her £26bn Budget tax increases as "fair and necessary," stating they are aimed at the wealthy to protect public services and boost the economy.
- She faced accusations of misleading the public by insisting on "hard choices" due to a deficit, despite the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) informing her of a surplus.
- Ms Reeves justified the 43 separate taxes and frozen income tax thresholds by asserting she was unwilling to cut public services, which she believes people voted against.
- She argued that the economic burden of the Budget was placed on those with "big incomes and assets," not on working-age people over pensioners.
- While Downing Street defended Ms Reeves, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for her sacking, and former Institute for Fiscal Studies head Paul Johnson suggested her pre-Budget statements were misleading.