Labour’s Rachel Reeves rules out increasing income tax or NI

Labour has said there will be no rises in income tax or National Insurance if it wins the general election – but some spending cuts have not been ruled out.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg she did not want to make any spending cuts.

But she was “under no illusion about the scale of the challenge” and would face “difficult decisions”, she said.

The Conservatives have cut National Insurance twice and said they aim to scrap it when circumstances allow.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Bim Afolami said Ms Reeves’ comments showed this was “just the same old Labour Party who have no plan to cut taxes and instead are leaving hard-working families to foot the bill for their unfunded spending commitments”.

The choice at the election was between “a clear and bold plan to cut taxes, and end the double tax on work, under Rishi Sunak, or going back to square one with the same old Labour Party, who as soon as they run out of money will come after yours”, he added.

Ms Reeves told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg Labour supported lower taxes, but she would not put forward “unfunded proposals”.

Pressed repeatedly on her tax plans, she said: “What I want and Keir [Starmer] wants is taxes on working people to be lower and we certainly won’t be increasing income tax or national insurance if we win at the election.

“We opposed the increases to national insurance when Rishi Sunak put those forward as chancellor.