Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has hit out at his successor today on GB News after she unveiled the Autumn Budget in the Commons yesterday.
Rachel Reeves, to the dismay of many MPs, set out a series of tax hiking measures with the aim of plugging a £22bn ‘black hole’ she says was left by the previous Conservative Government.
Speaking to Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello, Hunt accused Labour of fibbing about the economic outlook and lamented a Budget that he says will be “tough for families”.
He told GB News: “We all face pressures in public finances and we all face an economy recovering from the pandemic.
Jeremy Hunt lashed out at Reeves’s Budget
GB NEWS
“The big question is, how do we get more money into our public services like the NHS without raising taxes in a way that damage economic growth?
“Rachel Reeves promised us 30 times this year before the election that she wouldn’t increase taxes outside of what is in the Labour manifesto.
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Jeremy Hunt joined Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello on GB News
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“She even said she wanted to bring down taxes and I think many people are waking up this morning feeling utterly betrayed that we have had the biggest tax raising budget in history.
“What is so interesting is Labour always say they want to protect working people and ordinary families, but what their independent watchdog says is that living standards will go down, wages will go down, inflation will go up, mortgages will go up.
“This is a very tough budget for ordinary families.”
The Chancellor used her first Budget to announce £40 billion a year in additional taxes, with money being poured into schools, hospitals, transport and housing.
Rachel Reeves has asserted that ‘tough decisions’ will need to be made at the BudgetGB NEWSReeves said: “This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain.
“I have made my choices. The responsible choices. To restore stability to our country. To protect working people.
“More teachers in our schools. More appointments in our NHS. More homes being built.
“Fixing the foundations of our economy. Investing in our future. Delivering change. Rebuilding Britain.”
She was met with a backlash in the Commons with outgoing Tory leader Rishi Sunak accusing her of “fiddling the figures” by changing the debt target.
He added: “The reason the Chancellor has increased borrowing and increased taxes is because she has totally failed to grip public spending.”