Be Warned! Taxes Will Go Up Under Labour, Says Hunt

THE key battleground for the General Election will be set out today when Jeremy Hunt warns of tax rises under Labour.

- Sam Lister

The Chancellor will pledge fresh tax cuts under the next Tory Government as the economy bounces back.

But he will tell voters that "as sure as night follows day" they will pay more if Labour gets in since its spending plans do not add up.

In stark contrast to Sir Keir Starmer's party, the Tories have had to raise cash to deal with the impact of the global crisis caused by Covid - but they are committed to bringing taxes down, Mr Hunt, right, will say in a keynote speech. He is expected to add: "Conservatives look around the world and notice that the low-taxed economies of North America and Asia generally grow faster than the higher-taxed economies of Europe.

"Labour like to criticise tax rises this Parliament, thinking people don't know why they have gone up the furlough scheme, the energy price guarantee and billions of pounds of cost-of-living support.

"Policies Labour themselves supported. Which is why it is playground politics to use those tax rises to distract debate from the biggest divide in British politics which is - what happens next." He will warn:

"Conservatives recognise recognise that whilst those tax rises may have been necessary, they should not be permanent. Labour do not." Mr Hunt's speech in London comes at the end of a week that saw the unofficial start of the election campaign.

Labour's Sir Keir gave a showy speech at an event in Essex, flanked by his Shadow Cabinet.