Starmer wants to CUT taxes after next election as Labour embarks on 'national renewal' project
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wants to cut taxes for working people if the party wins the next general election
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wants to cut taxes for working people if the party wins the next general election.
The Labour leader's comments will put pressure on the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has been loathe to commit to tax cuts, preferring to focus on reducing inflation.
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In an interview on the final day of Labour's conference in Liverpool Sir Keir reiterated that he wanted to see a "competitive tax regime".
He said: "We have the highest rates of tax that we have had since the Second World War under this government.
"All we’ve got from this government is high tax and low growth and that is the wrong recipe for the country."
Asked directly if the tax burden come down under Labour, Sir Keir replied: "I would like the overall burden, particularly on working people to come down, but obviously we will operate of course and always within our fiscal rules."
Elsewhere in the interview, Sir Keir did not explicitly rule out rejoining the European Union instead saying Labour does not "intend" for the UK to go back into the European Union, its customs union or single market.
He said: "We will not try to reverse the result [of the 2016 referendum] we do not intend to go back into the EU. Or for that matter into the single market or the customs union."
But he made clear that he would try to "improve on the deal that we’ve got" when talks on a new trade and cooperation agreement start in May 2026.
He said: "Whether you look at security, whether you look at arts and innovation or trade almost everybody thinks there is room for improvement... There is no intention to return to the EU."
On immigration, Sir Keir refused to say whether Labour would cut net migration from the record 600,000 arrivals in the 12 months to June last year. "I am not going to pluck a number out of the sky," he said.
"We have ended up in this situation where we the number is higher than its ever been. But this is symptomatic I think of the last thirteen years.
"One of the challenges that we laid out for the Tories yesterday was, tell us what your record is? Because if you have got a record after thirteen years you should be telling the country what it is.
"So that’s why I contrasted them with our project which is actually let’s not just fix the country but let’s go on this journey of national renewal.
"And I can’t stress enough it’s a national journey, it is cross-party. Those that have lost faith in the party they are voting for are welcome to join us in this national project."
Turning to the protests in the UK over Israel's response to the attacks by Hamas, Sir Keir - whose wife Victoria and two children are Jewish - said: "I am very concerned and so are the family members and friends that I have spoken to.
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Keir Starmer spoke to GB News on the final day of the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
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"We’ve seen this in London we see it not infrequently and there is a real sense of deep anxiety, obviously in relation to the events in Israel, the appalling shocking events.
"The cold-blooded murder of men, women and children, and it is terrorism and Hamas bears the responsibility but huge amount of anxiety."