Labour To Prioritise Attacking The Government's Record On Tax Rises

Labour will focus on attacking the government's record on taxation as well as its recent string of Tory "sleaze" as the country heads towards an election in 2024.

Party leader Keir Starmer is set to deliver a speech on Thursday which will contain Labour's attack lines on the Conservatives and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as the election year begins. 

"After 14 years people are just fed up with what they're seeing before them," a Labour source told PoliticsHome.

"There's a reason why the Conservatives have changed Prime Minister so frequently; they're in the political turmoil that they find themselves so frequently for a reason.

"Keir will touch on that in his speech tomorrow."

The Government decided to cut national insurance from 12 per cent to ten per cent from 6 January – and there is growing speculation it may scrap inheritance tax in March – but a Labour party source said the cut will actually draw attention to the government's record on taxes; and this is something the party welcomes.

Economists have pointed out that even with the tax cut in the Autumn Statement, taxes currently make up more than 37 per cent of national income – the highest level since 1948 – with tax hikes, like freezes to personal income tax thresholds, driving up tax levels.

The Times reported that shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is weighing up cuts to income tax or national insurance in the party's election manifesto. It is understood that shadow ministers are readying their policy proposals for February in anticipation of a Spring election – which frontbencher Emily Thornberry described as "the worst kept secret in Westminster". 

"We don't regard the National Insurance cuts as a strength for the government, because we are of the view that this is