Labour leader Keir Starmer has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of lying to the country and breaching the ministerial code over a claim that Labour's spending plans would increase taxes by £2,000. The accusation follows a heated TV debate on Tuesday night, where Sunak repeatedly cited the figure as coming from independent Treasury officials.
Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves rounded on Sunak, saying his tactics during the debate showed he was dishonest under pressure. Labour released a letter from Treasury permanent secretary James Bowler, which stated that ministers should not suggest civil servants had produced the £2,000 figure. Bowler wrote that the document 'includes costs beyond those provided by the civil service' and that costings from other sources should not be presented as civil service work.
Speaking during a D-day-related visit to Portsmouth, Starmer said: 'What you saw last night was a prime minister with his back against the wall, trying desperately to defend an awful record in office, resorting to lies.' He added that Sunak 'knew very well what he was doing' and that the election was 'a choice between chaos and division, and now lies on top of it'.
The Conservatives defended the claim, with energy secretary Claire Coutinho saying the figure came from 'official costings from the Treasury'. However, a YouGov poll released after the debate showed Labour on 40%, with Reform UK within two points of the Conservatives, threatening to overshadow Tory optimism. Both parties are expected to launch their manifestos next week.
