Starmer has produced another new definition of “working people” at his speech today as he mentions them 26 times:
“The working people of this country know exactly who they are.”
Starmer may be suprised by the extent to which that’s proved to be true on Wednesday. Meanwhile he announces £240 million in funding to get people back to work and keeps shtum on anything else in Wednesday’s budget. He claims people can criticise his remedies as their “prerogative” and says they need to spell out an alternative path. They may do come the next election…
The PM diverted from his manfesto pledges when talking about tax:
“We made a clear promise to working people not to raise income tax, VAT or their national insurance.”
Labour’s manifesto said: “We will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT.” What will the working people who know who they are make of that?
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”