Chancellor on the rack: Reeves denies lying as ministers say she misled over hole in finances
“Rachel Reeves faces an ethics inquiry into accusations she lied to the public to justify the massive tax hikes in her “Benefits Street Budget”. It comes as senior ministers are also accusing the Chancellor and the PM of misleading Cabinet over a hole in the public finances. Reform UK boss Nigel Farage has written to the PM’s ethics adviser to look into whether the Chancellor has breached the ministerial code. In his letter, Mr Farage accused Ms Reeves of “a sustained and deliberate narrative advanced across multiple platforms, after the OBR’s forecasts were known to the Treasury, and in circumstances where the existence of fiscal headroom was not being disclosed to Parliament or to the public”. It comes as The Times revealed ministers insist they were never told that the Office for Budget Responsibility had privately assured the Chancellor there was a £4.2billion surplus. And they claim she had repeatedly highlighted a downgrade in productivity forecasts in meetings as she made the case for putting up taxes… Amid mounting calls for Ms Reeves to quit, the PM has been forced into a panicked pledge to slash welfare. Sir Keir will use a major speech to argue that the benefits system is “trapping young people out of work” and push for stripping out the “incentives” he says hold them back. But the tough rhetoric comes only after a backlash over the Budget, which raised taxes on workers while funnelling billions more into welfare.” – The Sun
- Kemi Badenoch demands Starmer sack Reeves as Budget lie-gate explodes – Daily Express
- Moment Reeves refuses to meet Kemi Badenoch’s eye in TV showdown after Tory leader branded her a liar and ridiculed her ‘sexism’ complaints – Daily Mail
- Starmer and Rachel Reeves ‘misled cabinet to justify budget tax rises’ – The Times
- Reeves’s tax raid ‘to damage growth’ – Daily Telegraph
- Nigel Farage says Rachel Reeves must face sleaze probe over Budget lies: Ethics watchdog urged to act as PM is dragged into scandal – Daily Mail
- Reeves eases benefits rules for teenagers with ADHD – Daily Telegraph
- Starmer leads fightback as budget row rumbles on for Reeves – The Guardian
- Business confidence drops to post-pandemic lows after Budget – CityAM
Comment:
- Rachel Reeves has to go – she just proved working hard is pointless under Labour – Giles Sheldrick, Daily Express
- The ‘squeezed middle’ is back – and this time it could be Labour’s undoing – John Harris, The Guardian
- We have the most deceitful leaders of modern times. Tony Blair and Alistair Campbell seem like novices in comparison – Stephen Glover, Daily Mail
- Labour’s post-Budget nightmare is a symptom of their biggest problem – Anne McElvoy, The i
- Ghastly, incompetent Rachel Reeves must resign NOW after dog’s breakfast Budget – but there’s one good thing to do first – Rod Liddle, The Sun
- Weak Rachel Reeves’ serial gaslighting of the British people is now clear for all to see. She is on her last legs… and Starmer will not be far behind – Andrew Neil, Daily Mail
> Today:
> Yesterday:
Rayner accused of dodging council tax on grace-and-favour flat
“Angela Rayner has been accused of trying to dodge the council tax surcharge on her grace and favour flat when she was housing secretary. The former deputy prime minister is facing renewed scrutiny over her living arrangements after questions were raised about the bill for her official residence in Admiralty House. Rayner, who resigned from the government in September after underpaying stamp duty on her home in Hove, is said to be planning a return to cabinet. Westminster city council introduced a 100 per cent council tax surcharge on second homes on April 1. This meant the £2,034 bill on her flat in Whitehall should have doubled, the Mail on Sunday reported. The government is responsible for paying council tax on grace and favour properties, which are ministers’ second homes. However, the Conservatives have argued that Rayner had a personal responsibility to ensure the council tax was paid under the ministerial code. The code states: “Where a minister is allocated an official residence, they must ensure that all personal tax liabilities, including any council tax, are properly discharged and that they personally pay such liabilities.” – The Times
- Rayner ‘failed to pay correct tax on grace and favour flat’ – Daily Telegraph
- Angela Rayner ally hints she could wade in on workers’ rights amid Labour backlash at Starmer for ditching ‘day one’ unfair dismissal – Daily Mail
- Starmer riles Rayner by ripping up key part of her workers’ rights bill – The Sun
Warnings over plan to scrap jury trials, including by Starmer’s former chambers
“Government plans to scrap jury trials for most crimes will undermine free speech, David Lammy has been warned. Campaigners claim the Justice Secretary’s proposals will mean defendants who use free speech as a defence for “offensive” language are less likely to be acquitted. Research by the Free Speech Union (FSU) found defendants justifying their actions on the basis of free speech were almost twice as likely to be found not guilty in a crown court, where juries determine verdicts, as they were in magistrates’ courts, where there are no juries. The research followed high-profile “hate speech” cases such as that of Jamie Michael, a former Royal Marine. A jury took just 17 minutes to acquit him of stirring up racial hatred with a Facebook post urging people to exercise their democratic rights over illegal immigration following the Southport murders. Lord Young, the director of the FSU, said his organisation would be campaigning against Mr Lammy’s plans. “Trial by jury is a bulwark of British liberty and if people charged with speech offences are denied that right, they’re more likely to be convicted,” he said. In an attempt to tackle a record backlog of 80,000 cases, Mr Lammy will on Tuesday use a Commons statement to set out the Government’s “once in a generation” plans to scrap the right to jury trial for defendants facing offences likely to result in prison sentences of under five years. Under the proposals, only defendants facing charges carrying a possible jail term of more than five years, such as murder, rape and other serious sexual offences, terrorism, manslaughter, GBH and possession of firearms, will be entitled to jury trials.” – Daily Telegraph
- Chambers founded by Sir Keir says PM’s plan to axe majority of jury trials is ‘wrong in principle’ – Daily Mail
- Plan to reduce jury trials an ‘irremediable error’, lawyers say in MoJ letter – The Guardian
- Judges at risk undner plans to restrict jury trials, top barrister warns – Financial Times
Comment:
- Labour’s plan to curb jury trials risks eroding trust in courts – Jeremy Wright, Daily Telegraph
> Today:
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq sentenced to two years in prison over corruption in Bangladesh
“A Labour MP and former minister has been sentenced to two years in prison in Bangladesh after she was found guilty of corruption charges. Tulip Siddiq, the MP for Hampstead & Highgate, was tried in absentia in Dhaka for using her influence with her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as prime minister last year, to secure a plot of land for her family. Siddiq, 43, who denies all wrongdoing, has accused the Bangladeshi authorities of a “politically-motivated smear campaign” against her. The MP, who resigned as a Treasury minister in January over her links to Hasina, is unlikely to serve any of the sentence unless she ever returns to Bangladesh. Britain and Bangladesh do not have a formal extradition treaty, although extradition is still theoretically possible through a request that is decided on by the home secretary. The court in Bangladesh had heard claims that Siddiq “forced and influenced her aunt and the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina using her special power to secure [a plot of land] for her mother Rehana Siddiq, sister Azmina Siddiq and brother Radwan Siddiq”. Judge Rabiul Alam sentenced the Labour MP to two years in prison and a 100,000 Bangladeshi taka fine (£620). If she fails to pay, six months will be added to the sentence.” – The Times
- Labour MP Tulip Siddiq given jail sentence in Bangladesh after corruption trial in her absence – ITVX
- Labour MP & ex-minister Tulip Siddiq JAILED in absentia over corruption weeks after her aunt was sentenced to death – The Sun
- What led to Bangladesh trial of former UK minister Tulip Siddiq in her absence? – The Guardian
News in brief:
- Your Party’s implosion almost makes me feel sorry for Jeremy Corbyn – Stephen Pollard, The Spectator
- Higher taxes will discourage investors at critical time – Susan Langley, CityAM
- Rachel Reeves mugs the youth – Will Dunn, The New Statesman
- The futility of left-wing civic nationalism – Tom Jones, The Critic
- Is Your Party already over? – Jonny Ball, UnHerd
