Labour breaks silence on new income tax, National Insurance, VAT rules

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken out over fears he will raise income tax, National Insurance and VAT. Starmer released the Labour Party's manifesto today after facing tough questions about tax during the General Election campaign, ahead of the country heading to the polls on July 4.

He said in announcing the party's manifesto: "We will not raise income tax, we will not raise National Insurance, we will not raise VAT - that's a manifesto commitment." The manifesto document states: "The Conservatives have raised the tax burden to a 70-year high.

"We will ensure taxes on working peopleare kept as low as possible. Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax or VAT."

READ MORE British Gas giving money off bills and says it will 'email customers in morning'

Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign coordinator, told BBC presenter Amol Rajan on the Today programme this morning: I remember when [Brown] was shadow chancellor in the run up to the 1997 election, and he was very careful about what to promise and he was right to be careful.

"But I also remember another thing; when he became chancellor and he had the power to change things, he had a fantastic record on child poverty. And we share the ambition when elected to attack child poverty and do more about it."

"We will reform the planning rules, a choice ignored for 14 years, and build the homes and infrastructure up," Starmer said today. "We will level up your rights of work, a choice ignored for 14 years, and raise your wages and your security.

"We will create a new industrial strategy, a choice ignored for 14 years, and we will back it with a national wealth fund, invest in clean steel imports, giga batteries, and we will create 650,000 new jobs for communities like yours."