To be concerned about tax u turn

[Costaoff]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/14/rachel-reeves-to-abandon-plans-to-raise-income-tax-rates-in-budget

It's evident that Reeves has been forced to back pedal by Starmer. How can you promise not to raise income tax; leak story after story about the need to increase income tax; and then make a last minute u-turn.

I think they will just target everything: pensions, lower the tax threshold; insurance tax; alcohol duty; capital gains taxs; stamp duty.

I think their proposal to increase income tax by 2% but reduce NI by 2% was sensible.

Yep it’s nonsense. World events were far more of an economic shock pre GE.

The disgraceful thing is that the press are whipping this up: if someone they talk to speculates about what might happen, it's presented as definitely going to happen.

Reeves held a press conference just a couple of weeks ago, essentially admitting that they will break their manifesto pledges by raising taxes. The press reports aren’t just speculation. It’s the Labour government causing the uncertainty.

Also what many people forget is that the Tories reduced NI in their last budget before the GE

The Labour Party knew what the NIC rate was when they announced in their “fully costed” manifesto that NIC would not need to increase. Were they lying or were their calculations wrong? They then said in their last budget that it was a once in generation decision to increase taxes to their current level. They’ve now decided that they need some more tax after all.

That's the spin anyway, but if you actually look at the data from the House of Commons Library & the IFS you'll find that, since the end of WW2, Labour governments have tended to borrow less, spend less, and repay more to the national debt than Conservative governments.

And this one? How about the last budget £70bn added

Completely agree.

its one thing to change your mind two weeks before the event when it’s a film choice at the cinema, but its the country’s jeffing budget! It’s amateur hour.

Presumably she now has to spend the next 12 days trying to work out where to find the several billion pounds shortfall from. The whole situation is ludicrous. They obviously have no clear economic strategy and are scrabbling around. My children manage their pocket money with clearer ideas than this government with the nation’s finances.

What u-turn? It's all speculation. How can you u-turn on something you haven't done yet?

They don't have to raise taxes

There are enormous cuts that can be made

Here's just one example - contract ultimately awarded to Manning Gotlieb

£80 million

Doing stuff like promoting energy saving heaters on Emmerdale.

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/7be41569-b632-4735-9d57-8334351d873d

''@Dacatspjs
This flailing around is absolutely terrifying. It just shows there is absolutely no plan. This is just in response to the shocking week Starmer has had, rather that any rational thought''

Exactly.

I voted Labour but I am appalled by this government lack of direction, conviction and vision.

It is obvious there is no proper long term plan for the economy and the country in general.

Reeves is a disaster and completely out of her depth and now it is just about Starmer trying to cling on and avoid a revolt being triggered if Reeves broke the manifesto promises.

Frankly I really hope there is a leadership challenge because we are doomed under this lot.

UK tax rates for low and middle income earners are the lowest in Europe. Try Belgium paying 40% of income from 2000 euros. Taxes from for low and middle income earners are higher in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium.

Time for lower earners in the UK to pay more.

I read lt described today that she’s flown so many kites in the air she’s blocked out the sun - and now manically running about with a machine gun trying to shoot them all down.

The woman’s a complete liability and needs to go.

Absolutely this.
Stop putting the burden on the people who do the right thing.

I read that article as well. It summed up the situation exactly.

Sounds apt. Starmer is culpable too.

I see they are still threatening to attack salary sacrifice pensions. Hitting any pension is just bonkers as it means lower pensions in the future and higher need for benefits.

typical shortsighted approach. Helps (a bit) now but causes a huge problem going forward. To to mention that it’s predominantly only going to affect private sector yet again. Whatever she finally decides to do, it needs to be fair. She herself said”we all “ need to play a part

Completely disagree that this was a sensible proposal, we would of been £350 a year worse off, which is a significant amount to us due to having so little left after mortgage etc, that’s the birthday party and present for one of the children or their swimming lessons. Why on earth do you think it’s more important people have cheaper alcohol or even more profit from a capital gain then my children getting a party and present or swimming lessons??

The government and councils have plenty of money, they are just useless at spending it wisely.

This government (and previous) don't have the bottle to start cutting according to their cloth. The easy/lazy answer is to raise taxes, so naturally that is what Labour will do.

The issue with that is that the NHS is a huge wasteful money pit. But I don't know the answer there.
We need to do everything -
Increase income tax, reduce business tax, reduce benefits, stop immigrants accessing benefits and send them back home, incentivise people on PIP to go back to work (if they can) - and believe me, I meet many people on PIP who could work if they chose.

Why shouldn’t immigrants be allowed to claim benefits if needed? I was an immigrant to the uk - paid a fortune in PAYE, NIC, corporation tax, VAT. Although I no longer live in the UK, I will be claiming my state pension when I’m old enough.