Britons will demand Sir Keir Starmer goes to the country for a new mandate if the Chancellor rips up election promise not to hike taxes on working people
The Chancellor has refused to rule out manifesto-breaking tax hikes (Image: Getty)
Rachel Reeves will demolish trust in politicians and turbo-charge demands for a general election if she breaks the manifesto promise not to increase core taxes. The Chancellor’s pre-Budget speech has only fuelled expectations that major tax hikes will be announced on November 26.
Her statement that “each of us must do our bit” encouraged speculation that an increase in income tax is on the cards. Ms Reeves should pull out a copy of the Labour’s election manifesto and read these 28 words: “Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.”
That pledge could not be clearer. She has already damaged trust with her shock increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions. If she pushes up income tax the sense of betrayal across the country will drive people away from Labour – and heighten anger at the country’s political class.
Britons will say: “If Labour wants to break its tax promise it needs a mandate to do so – and the way to get that is holding a new general election.”
A petition calling for an immediate general has more than one million signatures. Pressure for Sir Keir Starmer to go to the country will intensify if voters believe they were lied to.
Ms Reeves may bitterly regret allowing such an unequivocal pledge to be put in black and white print in the manifesto. Economists may argue it was deeply foolish for a party to bind its hands in Government.
But as Sir Nick Clegg discovered over the tuition fees fiasco, Britons are slow to forgive a party when they believe it has gone back on its word.
Would a snap election propel Nigel Farage into Downing Street? (Image: Getty)
The prospect of a general election would terrify Sir Keir when Reform is at 30% in Politico’s poll of polls and Labour and the Tories are tied on 17%, with the Greens and the Liberal Democrats snapping close behind on 15% and 13%, respectively.
But if the Government really believes emergency measures are needed then there is no shame in asking the country for its blessing. This would focus minds on the fragility of the public finances; each party would be forced to set out exactly what it would do to avoid national decline, restore growth and secure the future of our public services.
Britons have long memories. They will not have forgotten the end of pensioners’ universal entitlement to winter fuel support by the next election, and if Ms Reeves breaks an explicit manifesto commitment many will turn up at the polling station determined to punish Labour and vote for radical change.
