Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could become the “most divisive” in history following his latest “tin-eared” comments ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s looming Budget announcement.
Speaking at the Commonwealth leaders’ summit, Starmer was asked whether those who work but receive “additional income” from assets such as shares and property are regarded as “working people”.
Starmer claimed that he views the working person as someone who “goes out and earns their living, usually paid in a sort of monthly cheque”, and someone who can’t “write a cheque to get out of difficulties”.
The Prime Minister added that those who earn additional income from assets do “not come within his definition” of the working Briton.
Lord Daniel Moylan hit out at ‘tin-eared’ Keir Starmer over Labour’s ‘class war’ on ‘working people’
GB News / PA
However, Starmer’s spokesman made clear after his remarks were made that he believes those with a “small amount of savings” do fit his defnition.
Reacting to the comments and the latest Labour backlash, Lord Daniel Moylan told GB News that Starmer is “utterly tin-eared” in his remarks, and is heading to become the “most divisive Prime Minister in history”.
Moylan fumed: “Anybody who doesn’t fit into his category of working people can expect to pay more tax starting next week. And so it really matters what he means by working people – and he can’t define it, he can’t express it.
“What he seems to be saying is that if you are somebody who has worked hard all your life, and in the course of that, you have saved money, you have made provision for the future so that if there is a crisis you might be able to write a check for it, then you are in scope of higher taxes.”
Hitting out at Labour’s decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners, Moylan added that Starmer has “already shown he can’t stand pensioners”, and could now be “the most divisive Prime Minister in history”.
The Prime Minister claimed those with stocks and shares ‘do not fit his definition’ of ‘working people’
PA
Weighing in on Starmer’s remarks, host Emily Carver claimed that Labour should be “encouraging people to do the right thing” by saving money, not taxing them on it.
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Emily explained: “Governments should want people to do the right thing. Invest in their future, put money away, maybe invest in assets. It’s sensible things to do to prepare themselves for the future.
“It does feel like Sir Keir Starmer is trying to draw this horrible divide between what he perceives to be the haves and the haves not. Why doesn’t he just talk about taxing the super wealthy and the super rich? He’s not. He’s talking about anyone who can write a check.”
Offering a defence for the Prime Minister, former Labour MP Steve McCabe argued that Starmer is “trying to identify a group of people who need to be protected from tax rises”.
He added: “Anyone who’s worked hard and put a bit away for a rainy day – you tell me the tax that’s going to catch that person.”
Lord Moylan suggested that Starmer’s latest comments will put people off saving and investing money
GB News
Hitting back at McCabe, Moylan responded: “Well, they already pay income tax and they’d be paying higher income tax on that, that’s the first thing. Those who put them have put their money into ISAs are allowed to keep that tax free – but for how long will that continue?
“All these people are hard working people who are striving to save, you’re killing the instinct to save and look after yourself, that’s what Starmer is doing.”
In disagreement with Moylan, McCabe concluded: “There isn’t a group available that Daniel and co haven’t tried to say are going to be hit by this Budget.
“The only thing they won’t admit to is the fact that the Budget is going to have to increase tax because of the mess left behind by the Tories.”