Keir Starmer’s Tax Promise: Keeping It Real for Working Folks
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Party’s big‑name leader, just dropped a promise that’s bound to get people talking: no more tax hikes for the hard‑working public if Labour wins the upcoming general election.
What the Head of Labour Says
- “We’re going to pull the lever for growth.” – that’s the headline slogan.
- He’s pledging to keep council tax, income tax, and National Insurance flat – at least for the time being.
- Speaker ties in a future that falls back on talked‑about “growth” as the engine of change.
Paul Johnson’s Take from the IFS
Now, let’s bring in Paul Johnson, the slick director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who tells us that Sir Keir’s phrasing might get both sides of parliament twisting into knots. Johnson’s fire‑alert:
- “Stop saying ‘we won’t raise taxes’ – it’s getting everyone tangled.”
- He argues that the more they promise to stay flat, the harder it becomes to finance everything that actually needs money.
- We’re at a crossroads: either we cut services or we look at honest and possibly higher taxes and borrowing. Johnson is calling for a clear conversation about the trade‑offs.
Why the Plans Might Bleed Departments
Johnson warns that if the government blows past the numbers in the plans, many departments might see real‑terms cuts unless there’s either an uptick in taxes or a jump in borrowing to keep things running.
Sir Keir vs. The Real World
He says the last 14 years have been a missed growth opportunity. If growth had matched what the last Labour government did, we’d be looking at millions – perhaps tens of billions – of extra spending for public services. That’s the benchmark he’s living for.
He remains firm: We’re not going back to austerity. Instead, we’ll pull ‘growth’ on the lever.
Bottom line for the citizens
Keir’s promise is a bold declaration; Johnson’s cautionary voice is a reminder that policy is a tricky dance between ambition and reality. For anyone hoping to watch how this plays out, the future is a mix of hopeful rhetoric and prudential budgeting—and there’s probably going to be a big debate about which direction the money flies.
