Nigel Farage has launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of today's Budget, accusing him of failing to improve the lives of ordinary people.
The Reform UK leader's comments came as Chancellor John Healey prepared to deliver his first Budget statement in the House of Commons after Prime Minister's Questions, set against a backdrop of a dire economic situation.
Farage's Criticism
In a statement released before the Budget, Farage questioned whether the public had seen any tangible benefits since Burnham took office.
"Has your life improved in the last 100 days? In any way?" he asked.
"Have your bills gone down? Do you feel richer? Safer? Has your local community improved at all? For the average person, the answer is a resounding no."
He added: "Burnham is making tweaks as broken Britain slides further into terminal decline. He's a talker, not a doer. He hasn't changed the country one bit so far, and isn't going to."
Healey's Promise
In a video message ahead of the statement, Healey acknowledged the country was facing a "difficult moment" and promised changes would be made "responsibly" within Labour's fiscal rules.
"Breathing space for today and fresh hope for the future. That's what today's Budget will deliver," Healey said.
"The world's a highly uncertain place. Conflicts abroad are pushing up energy prices, and the cost of living here at home is piling pressure on families, on businesses, and on our public finances."
He pointed to signs of resilience in the economy, noting that investments were up, productivity was growing, and the UK had the joint fastest growth in the G7 in the first half of this year.
"This Budget is designed to give households breathing space from some of the everyday costs, provide targeted support for businesses and self-employed people, and to start the long-term action needed to get energy costs down for good," he added.
The Budget is the first since Burnham became Prime Minister, with the Chancellor set to outline the government's fiscal plans in the Commons this afternoon.
