Keir Starmer today branded Rishi Sunak “Mr 1%” as he blasted the decision to hand tax breaks to fatcats so they can squirrel away more in their pensions.
The Labour leader also highlighted that only 1% of asylum claims have been processed, as well as just 1% of taxpayers’ money lost to Covid fraud having been recovered.
Speaking at a local elections campaign launch in Swindon, he criticised the Chancellor’s decision to scrap the top limit on tax-free pensions savings in his Budget - a move that will benefit the wealthiest in society.
“Across the country everywhere I go, here in Swindon, communities have ambition, they want change - they just don't have a government that matches their ambition and they’re not going to get it from this Prime Minister, Mr 1%,” he said.
Mr Starmer said: “One per cent of asylum claims for those who arrived on small boats processed, 1% of the fraud money that we lost during Covid recovered and 0% of the windfall tax that we could have recovered."
The “Mr 1%” label can also be seen as a dig at Mr Sunak’s vast wealth, with his tax returns last week showing he raked in over £1.6million in capital gains, of which he paid £325,826 in tax, in the last financial year.
Mr Starmer was pressed whether he could also be labelled “Mr 1%” given the details of his own tax affairs revealed an income of over £210,000.
He responded by saying Labour’s pledge to freeze council tax bills if it was in government now would be “a tax cut for the 99% of working people” compared to “the choice that the Conservatives have made which is a tax cut for the richest 1%”.
“And what we're announcing today, what Labour would do with council tax and freezing next year's council tax, using those windfall profits, is a clear choice.
“It's a choice that government can make now - that money is on the table,” he said.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves added: “I think the key thing is who do you stand for? And we've been very clear in the announcements that we've made today that we stand for ordinary working people who are seeing their taxes go up.
“Well, the only permanent tax cut in the budget a couple of weeks ago was for people who can save more than a million pounds in their pension.
“So politics is all about choices. Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives always stand with those who already have a lot. Labour are trying to do the right thing, putting more money in the pockets of ordinary working people.”
Meanwhile the Tories were accused of a "phantom" local election launch after failing to invite any national media to their campaign kick-off.
Labour’s Ms Reeves told journalists: “We're proud of our plans and we're happy to hold them up to scrutiny and the Conservatives have let us know that theirs was five days ago and unfortunately none of you were invited."
A Labour source also joked: “Rishi Sunak’s phantom election launch is the perfect metaphor for a Tory Government that after 13 years is out of ideas, out of touch and out of time.”
Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said: “Announcing their election campaign with but a whisper is a pretty telltale sign of how the Conservatives are feeling about May’s local elections.
“Rishi Sunak would be right to keep quiet about the Conservatives electoral prospects this May, with Liberal Democrats parking tractors on their blue wall lawns.
“His Government has taken people for granted, made the cost of living crisis worst and driven local health services into the ground. It’s time for communities to send him and the Conservatives a message they can’t ignore.”
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