Starmer Touts Progressive Budget as Wealthy Brace for Tax Hikes

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK budget announced next week would be “based on Labour values,” as speculation builds that Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will have to target the wealthy with tax hikes.

Starmer sought to cast the Labour Party’s looming spending plan as progressive in response to questions from opposition leader Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Specifically, the Conservative leader pressed the prime minister to rule out freezing income-tax thresholds, a so-called stealth tax that would sweep more taxpayers into higher brackets.

“We’re determined to tackle inequality,” Starmer said, without directly addressing ...