Labour’s Tax Promise Under Fire Yvette Cooper Defends ‘Fully Funded’ Manifesto on Good Morning Britain
In a fiery interview on Good Morning Britain, Labour’s Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was questioned over whether the party had “lied” to voters about tax plans before the recent election. Host Susanna Reid grilled Cooper in light of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ recent decision to raise taxes by £40 billion, sparking public debate over Labour’s pre-election assurances.
During the segment, Reid reminded Cooper of Labour’s pledge before the election, showing clips of prominent party figures claiming that taxes would not need to be raised. The segment included statements from senior Labour figures reiterating that the party’s financial commitments were “fully funded and fully costed.” Darren Jones, now Chief Secretary to the Treasury, was featured saying, “All of our manifesto is fully funded and fully costed. There is no need to make further changes to other taxes.” Jonathan Ashworth, who lost his seat, had also declared, “Our tax plans are clear and our manifesto does not need further tax increases.” Similarly, Pat McFadden, now Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, affirmed, “There is nothing in the manifesto, nothing in the plans that we published today, that will require further tax increases”, according to Yahoo News.
Reid then asked Cooper the pressing question: “Were we lied to?” Cooper responded by stating that when Labour took office, they uncovered substantial unfunded commitments left by the previous administration, which had not been initially factored into Labour’s financial planning. “Clearly when we arrived in government, we did discover that there were substantial commitments that had been made that were unfunded,” she said.
However, Reid pushed back, pointing out a perceived discrepancy in the figures, highlighting a £22 billion deficit against the £40 billion in tax increases. “The black hole is £22 billion. The tax rises – £40bn. The number doesn’t add up,” she pressed.
Cooper defended the tax hike as necessary to address the unexpected “gap in public finances” inherited by the new government, while also funding critical areas such as the National Health Service. “It’s right that the difficult decisions that Rachel Reeves has taken have been about how you fix the gap in the public finances that we inherited, how you also make sure that you get the growth that we need, and also deal with the parlous state of the National Health Service,” she argued.
Labour’s tax decision has sparked a mix of reactions, with some voters expressing concern over the abrupt shift from Labour’s pre-election stance. Cooper’s interview highlights the challenging financial realities facing the current administration as they balance electoral promises with fiscal responsibility.