Watch as Sir Keir Starmer defends Rachel Reeves after she has come under heavy criticism following last week’s Budget.
The chancellor has been accused of misleading the public by lying about economic forecasts she had received in order to justify her £26bn worth of tax hikes.
Speaking on Monday (1 December), Sir Keir contended that Ms Reeves has provided stability by raising billions of pounds to build more “headroom” in the economy.
Defending the chancellor, the PM said the Budget was a “moment of personal pride.”
It has emerged that before her speech, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) told her that the public’s finances had significantly improved and that, instead of a deficit, she had a surplus of £4.2bn.
Ms Reeves has denied that she has lied to the public and the markets.
The prime minister also discussed welfare reform, claiming that the welfare state is “trapping people, not just in poverty, but out of work”.
“I am proud of lifting over half a million children out of poverty, proud we raised the national minimum wage again,” he said. “That is what a Labour Government is for, making life better for working families.”
