London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Budget 2021: Ed Miliband says Rishi Sunak 'living on a different planet' with 'stealth raid' budget on living standards

Budget 2021: Ed Miliband says Rishi Sunak 'living on a different planet' with 'stealth raid' budget on living standards

The former Labour leader was cutting in his assessment of Rishi Sunak's budget, saying the chancellor was "living on a totally different planet".

Rishi Sunak's budget offers an "age of stagnation" not optimism and contained a "stealth raid" on living standards and the self-employed, Ed Miliband has said.

The shadow business secretary said the chancellor's budget, announced on Wednesday, fails to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and under the Conservatives there has been 11 years of "low growth, stagnant wages, falling living standards".

Opening the second day of the budget debate, Mr Miliband told the Commons: "It's less than 24 hours since the budget was delivered and it's already unravelling because of the chasm between the claims of ministers and the reality that working people face.

"To listen to the chancellor yesterday it's clear he is living on a totally different planet.

"He told us he'd deliver an age of optimism. But when you take off the Instagram filter all he offers is an age of stagnation.

"Low wages, low growth, high taxes, more lost Tory years."

He also told MPs the budget was a "raid upon the living standards of working people" and that there were council tax hikes hidden in budget documents that were not announced by Mr Sunak.

There was also a "stealth raid" on the self-employed of £1.7bn over the next five years that was not announced, he claimed.

Mr Miliband also highlighted the confirmation by Mr Sunak that national insurance will be increased by 1.25%.

He added: "Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned in this but let's remember this is a direct breach of the promise every member of the party opposite made to their constituents at the general election."

The former Labour leader said the "most shameful" part of the budget was the "refusal to reverse" removing the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift, which happened earlier in October.


He also questioned why there was a lack of support for energy-intensive industries as energy prices soar.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Mr Miliband to "watch this space" and said the government is "always looking at the situation in terms of gas and electricity prices".

Mr Miliband also hit out at the cut to domestic air passenger duty, saying: "Once again it shows the Treasury is not signed up to this agenda."

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also criticised the government's green agenda.

"As he hits working people with the highest sustained tax burden in peacetime, he's giving a tax cut to bankers who like to take short-haul flights while sipping champagne," she said.

"After taking £6bn out of the pockets of some of the poorest people in this country, he is expecting them to cheer today at being given £2bn to compensate."

In his budget statement to the House of Commons, Mr Sunak promised plans to build "a stronger economy for the British people" after the coronavirus crisis.

Promising to provide "help for working families with the cost of living", Mr Sunak announced he would lower the taper rate of Universal Credit from 63% to 55%.

This means, for every extra £1 someone earns, their Universal Credit will be reduced by 55p rather than 63p.

Mr Sunak claimed the move, which will be implemented no later than 1 December, would see nearly two million families keep, on average, an extra £1,000 a year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Prison Officer Sentenced for Inappropriate Conduct with Inmate
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
×