Keir Starmer has defiantly backed last week’s Budget saying he is “proud” of it.
Speaking in central London, the Prime Minister said the Budget was a moment of “personal pride” for him.
He referred to his family and their worries regarding bill payment and how their phone was cut off.
He empathised with those in Britain who struggle to make ends meet and highlighted his pride in how last week’s Budget aims to help them.
He said: “I remember my family sitting around the kitchen table worrying about the bills. How are we going to pay them all, and we as a family couldn’t pay them all, and that’s why, in our case, our phone was cut off, and that is still the reality of Britain for far too many people.
“And so, yes, I am proud. I’m proud we scrap the to child limit. I’m proud we’re lifting over half a million children out of poverty. Proud we raise the national minimum wage again.
“That is what a Labour Government is for making life better for working families, unlocking their potential and giving our children a fair chance to get on.
“That is the story of the budget. There were necessary choices.”
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Rachel Reeves responds to claims she ‘misled’ the Cabinet over Budget numbers
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has responded to claims that she misled Cabinet ministers about the Budget.
Members of Sir Keir Starmer’s top team have reportedly accused him and Ms Reeves of misleading the Cabinet, with The Times quoting an unnamed minister as describing the handling of the Budget as “a disaster from start to finish.”
“At no point were the Cabinet told about the reality of the OBR forecasts,” they told the newspaper.
Speaking to BBC Wales at the Wales Investment Summit, the Chancellor said: “You would never expect the Prime Minister and Chancellor to go through all the detailed numbers. The cabinet are briefed on the morning of the Budget on the Budget numbers.
“Of course, we go through things that affect individual government departments, but the whole information of the Budget is not supposed to be provided until the Chancellor delivers the Budget. Obviously, this time, it was leaked early, but not by the Treasury.”
WATCH: Christopher Hope grills Keir Starmer as he rushes to Rachel Reeves’ defence
Prime Minister defends OBR as ‘vital’ despite budget leak
The Prime Minister has said he is very supportive of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which is “vital” for the stability of the economy, despite a catastrophic early leak of the budget.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “I’m not going to suggest that what happened last week, which was the entire Budget being published before the Chancellor got to her feet, was not anything other than a serious error.
“This was market sensitive information. It was a massive discourtesy to Parliament. It’s a serious error, there’s an investigation that’s going on.
“But as for the OBR itself, I’m very supportive of the OBR for the reasons I’ve set out, vital for stability, vital and integral to our fiscal rules, which I’ve said a number of times are ironclad.”
Keir Starmer tells GB News they were left with ‘very bad’ starting point
The Prime Minister responding to GB News Political Editor Chris Hope
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The Prime Minister said Labour was left with a “very bad” starting point when they came into power.
When asked by GB News Political Editor Chris Hope how the public “can trust anything you say”, Sir Keir said: “I simply don’t accept the starting proposition, I’m very sorry.
“When I was told that we started the Budget process minus £16bn, I didn’t cheer, I didn’t think it was good, I thought it was a very bad starting position.
“I was curious as to why the productivity review had been done this year and not previously but that’s the nature of the beast.”
Kemi Badenoch says ‘hard-Left’ backbenchers still control Labour
Kemi Badenoch has suggested “hard-Left” backbenchers still control Labour as she reiterated calls for the Prime Minister to sack Rachel Reeves.
The Tory leader said: “If I were Keir Starmer, I would be asking someone to stand down from their seat and get a sensible person who everybody in the country can have some faith in and put them in there and make them Chancellor.
“But they’re not going to do that. Instead, they’re going to go through lots of different cycles of Labour MPs, some of whom are very similar to the ones that have gone to the Jeremy Corbyn party. You see what a rabble they are.
“Labour are actually not that much different. The hard-Left on their backbenches is driving the car seat. So it doesn’t matter whether it’s Rachel Reeves or not, she is clearly not the one in control.”
Keir Starmer says upcoming decisions are ‘not cost-free’ and ‘not easy’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers a speech in central London
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The Prime Minister has said growing the economy will require more decisions that are “not cost-free” and “not easy.”
Sir Keir Starmer said: “We have to be clear at this stage of our plan, the most important thing that we can do for growth, the most important thing that we can do for business, is first to drive inflation down so that interest rates come down further still, and the cost of business investment comes down with it and, second, to retain market confidence that allows for real economic stability so that businesses can plan with certainty.
“That is what the country needs most right now. It is what the Budget secured and that is why our choices were fair, they were necessary and they were fundamentally good for growth.
“But I will level with you as the Budget showed the path to a Britain that is truly built for all requires many more decisions that are not cost-free and they’re not easy.”
Keir Starmer admits UK needs ‘closer relationship with the EU’
The Prime Minister said: “The Brexit deal we have significantly hurt our economy. And so for economic renewal we have to keep reducing frictions.
“We have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU. And we have to be grown-up about that, to accept that that will require trade-offs.”
Sir Keir added: “We will keep going. We will continue to reject drift, to confront reality and take control of our future.”
Keir Starmer delivers direct message to votes – ‘You will see a country building its future’
The Prime Minister speaking to the press in London
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The Prime Minister said: “You will see a country building its future with new homes and infrastructure, 2,000 free breakfast clubs, hundreds of school-based nurseries open by September.
“You’ll see 3,000 neighbourhood police officers on your streets by March, a new era of security for 11 million renters starting in May, hundreds of thousands of parents taking advantage of our free childcare expansion.
“Almost 120 community diagnostic centres open seven days a week by April. You will see NHS waiting times coming down further, wages still rising faster than prices, immigration still falling.
“Bit by bit you will see a country that no longer feels the burden of decline or the sense that things can never get better. A Britain with its confidence and its future back.”
Keir Starmer takes aim at Liz Truss as he blasts ‘extra borrowing’
Sir Keir Starmer said: “We could have ignored child poverty, we could have rolled the dice with extra borrowing. But I firmly believe those options have been tested to destruction.
“I mean we all know the risks of reckless borrowing. That is the path that Liz Truss took. And you can see the cost in any bill, mortgage, car loan, anything affected by interest rates.
“But also look at the OBR’s analysis of productivity. And it’s crystal clear to me that austerity scarred the long-term productive capability of this country.
“So why would we repeat it? That is what we inherited, public finances and public services in total crisis, growth weak for years.”
Keir Starmer defends scrapping two-child benefit cap
Defending lifting the cap, the Prime Minister said: “They said to us that matters because you wouldn’t believe how many children come through our doors of our hospital because of poverty, poverty in Britain today.
“So this is a public services issue. It can help lift the pressure on the NHS.
“It’s an economic issue, a sound investment in our long-term potential, and it’s a fairness issue and this is what the Tories need to understand about the Britain that they built.
“Three-quarters of children growing up in poverty today come from working families.”
Keir Starmer blasts Tories over poverty record – ‘Their worst legacy’
Sir Keir Starmer holds a press conference
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Sir Keir Starmer has slammed what he dubbed as the “abhorrent” Conservative child poverty legacy.
The Prime Minister said: “Just think about that. The skipped meals, the cold bedrooms, the school uniform that is too small or worn through, and think about a seven-year-old in that situation.
“Are they ready to learn to the best of their ability? Are we giving them a fair and equal opportunity to succeed?
“I think it’s abhorrent. The Tories raised child poverty by 900,000, that is their worst legacy bar none.”
Keir Starmer says Budget was moment of ‘personal pride’
Sir Keir Starmer says Budget was a moment of “personal pride” for him as Labour leader.
The Prime Minister said: “That is the purpose of this Government in a nutshell. Now I said it at Labour Party conference. We have a plan for Britain that is built at all and we’re going to unlock the potential of every single person and community in our country.
“Because whether it’s our public services that don’t work, the cost of living crisis holding us back or whole regions of our country ignored as sources of growth, in the end it’s all about potential.
“And that’s why the Budget was a moment of personal pride for me. I do not want to see a country where children grow up in poverty.
“I don’t think anybody in this country wants that. It is a fundamental British belief that every child should go as far as their talent will take them and poverty is a barrier to that.
Sir Keir Starmer up to provide post-budget reaction – WATCH NOW
Sir Keir Starmer
| GB NEWS
Sir Keir is up to make a speech backing the Budget to signal a fresh push on welfare reform.
We’ll bring you all the coverage here on GB News.
Cabinet minister insists Reeves has ‘full support’ on Budget
Darren Jones said Rachel Reeves did not mislead voters
| GB NEWSSir Keir Starmer’s top aide has insisted that Chancellor Rachel Reeves did not mislead voters over the state of the public finances ahead of the Budget.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones insisted there was a “funding gap” to fill when asked when he knew that there was no “black hole” in the public finances.
It comes as Sir Keir is set to use a speech backing the Budget to signal a fresh push on welfare reform.
Ms Reeves has been forced to defend herself against claims she misled voters by talking up the scale of the fiscal challenge in the run-up to last week’s Budget, in which she announced £26billion worth of tax rises.
She said an Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecast showing a £4.2billion surplus against her borrowing rules did not take into account the welfare reform U-turn or the abolition of the two-child benefit cap.
Cabinet minister Mr Jones told the BBC: “There are two things relevant here. The OBR did downgrade its assumptions about how much money was coming in over future years by looking at the past 10 years.
“That is true and correct. And as I say, there was a funding gap.”
Former Deputy Tory Chair joins Reform – ‘We face serious and deep rooted challenges’
Former Deputy Chair of the Conservatives Jonathan Gullis has joined Reform UK, as he launched a scathing attack on his former party.
Mr Gullis, who served as MP for Stoke-on-Trent North from 2019 to 2024, said: “Over time, I have watched a party I once believed in lose touch with the people it was meant to serve.
“From failing to control both legal and illegal migration to pursuing a Net Zero agenda that has seen a rise in our household energy bills and put jobs in Stoke-on-Trent’s world famous ceramics sector at risk, the Conservative Party has understandably lost the trust of the British people.
“As a country, we face serious and deep rooted challenges, and what is required now are bold, radical ideas alongside the determination to deliver them.
“I believe only Reform UK has the vision and courage needed to restore pride in Britain and deliver real change, putting our country and our communities first.
“Nigel Farage has shown, consistently over many decades, the courage of his convictions, and it is that strength of leadership which will drive forward the bold and radical reforms our country so urgently needs.”
WATCH: Alex Burghart tells Rachel Reeves to come to the Commons today to answer urgent questions
A senior Conservative figure has launched a scathing attack on the Chancellor, alleging she deceived the public about Government finances to implement sweeping tax measures.
Labour defends Tulip Siddiq after Bangladeshi conviction
Ms Siddiq was under investigation in Britain over her use of properties linked to her aunt Sheikh Hasina
| PAThe Labour Party has said it does not recognise the corruption judgment against MP Tulip Siddiq after a Bangladeshi court sentenced her to two years in prison.
A Labour Party spokesman said: !”The Labour Party and all our elected representatives take the rule of law incredibly seriously and will always fulfil our legal responsibilities.
“As has been reported, highly regarded senior legal professionals have highlighted that Tulip Siddiq has not had access to a fair legal process in this case and has never been informed of the details of the charges against her.
“This is despite repeated requests made to the Bangladeshi authorities through her legal team.
“Anyone facing any charge should always be afforded the right to make legal representations when allegations are made against them. Given that has not happened in this case, we cannot recognise this judgment.”
More than 110 council homes worth over £2million will NOT have to pay mansion tax under Rachel Reeves’s plan
Renters living in taxpayer-subsidised London social housing properties worth millions will be spared Rachel Reeves’s so-called “mansion tax”.
The Chancellor confirmed in the Budget last week that privately owned properties valued above £2million will face an average charge of £4,500 a year from April 2028.
However, those living in social housing will be exempt from the levy, according to government documents published on Wednesday, which state: “Social housing will not be in scope.”
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves accused of misleading Cabinet to justify Budget tax hikes
Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have come under fire from their own Cabinet
| PAMinisters have accused Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves of misleading the Cabinet by suggesting there was a hole in public finances to bolster the case for tax hikes in the Budget.
In several meetings, the Chancellor highlighted a downgrade in productivity forecasts as she tried to persuade ministers to support tax hikes, according to The Times.
After a Downing Street press conference in which Ms Reeves suggested she was preparing to break Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise the basic income tax rate, the Chancellor told ministers on November 4 that the country was facing challenges with “tariffs, unstable borrowing costs, inflation and long-term productivity”.
Senior Tory calls proposals to scrap jury trials ‘completely abhorrent’
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart blasted plans to scrap jury trials for some crimes “completely abhorrent.”
Major reforms are set to be announced this week will “put victims front and centre” of the criminal justice system, Justice Secretary David Lammy has said, amid reports that jury trials could be restricted to rape, murder and manslaughter.
Mr Burghart told GB News: “You go back to pre-Norman conquest we had jury trials in some places.
“For the Government to just tear this up is a dreadful thing. We in the Conservatives are completely against this.”
Senior Tory accuses Rachel Reeves of ‘telling porkie pies’
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart appeared on GB News this morning
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A senior Conservative MP has accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of “telling porkie pies” in last week’s budget.
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart told GB News: “It’s clear she has been caught telling porkie pies and very serious ones at that
“It seems clear she told the country there was a big hole in the country’s finances and she was going to have to put up taxes. But turns out the advice from OBR was completely different to that.”
Mr Burghart accused her of lying to “appease backbenchers” over potential benefits rises.
Sir Keir Starmer hits out at opponents as he blasts ‘politics of decline’
The Prime Minister has hit out at opponents on the “left and right” as he took aim at what he dubbed the “politics of decline.”
In a veiled swipe at both Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Green Party leader Zack Polanski, Sir Keir Starmer issued a rebuttal to his political opponents as Labour continues to struggle in the polls.
Writing in The Guardian, he said: “We will take on those on the left and right who only offer grievance and whose approach would lead to further decline.
“Because let me be clear, turning on the borrowing taps or returning us to austerity, that is the politics of decline and I will not accept it.”
Your Party confirmed as name for Jeremy Corbyn’s new outfit
Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn closed the conference
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Jeremy Corbyn’s new left-wing movement decided to make the name Your Party permanent at the conclusion of its tense inaugural conference.
The former Labour leader announced the interim name will be kept as he wrapped up the weekend which also saw his preferred leadership set-up rejected.
Members voted for the name Your Party over the alternatives Our Party, Popular Alliance and For The Many.
They also voted narrowly against having a single elected leader, opting instead for a collective model favoured by his rival Zarah Sultana that puts a committee of members in charge.
Mr Corbyn, the MP for Islington North, admitted there had been “frustrations” in the establishment of the outfit but said “we have come a long way” as he closed the gathering in Liverpool on Sunday.
Nigel Farage reports Rachel Reeves to PM’s ethics adviser after ‘serious Budget breach’ allegations
Nigel Farage has reported Rachel Reeves to Sir Keir Starmer’s independent ethics adviser over alleged breaches of the ministerial code.
The Reform UK leader, who sent his 968-word letter to Sir Magnus Laurie tonight, claimed the Chancellor pushed “a sustained and deliberate narrative” after it was reported the UK was facing a black hole of between £22billion and £40billion.
Mr Farage cited Ms Reeves’s remarks in the House of Commons in early November and pointed out that the Chancellor had not disclosed the Office for Budget Responsibility’s positive headroom forecast to MPs or the public.
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq handed prison sentence in Bangladesh after corruption trial
Sheikh Hasina is the aunt of Labour’s Tulip Siddiq | GETTYLabour MP Tulip Siddiq has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh following a corruption trial.
The former minister, who has strongly denied the allegations, was found guilty of using her influence with her aunt, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to secure land near the capital of Dhaka.
Ms Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead and Highgate still faces several unresolved charges in the South Asian country.
