Anushka Asthana

So I think the Tories are going to absolutely hammer them that they're breaking a manifesto promise. On the other taxes, what they said, and we said this was dishonest during the election campaign repeatedly. And in fact, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said there was a conspiracy of silence.

So I think the Tories are going to absolutely hammer them that they're breaking a manifesto promise. On the other taxes, what they said, and we said this was dishonest during the election campaign repeatedly. And in fact, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said there was a conspiracy of silence.

Yeah, so basically what they said was, and we don't need any other tax rises apart from the ones we're ruling out in order to pay for our manifesto promises. As if going into government, you think that all you're going to have to spend is what's in your manifesto. Everybody knew, for example...

Yeah, so basically what they said was, and we don't need any other tax rises apart from the ones we're ruling out in order to pay for our manifesto promises. As if going into government, you think that all you're going to have to spend is what's in your manifesto. Everybody knew, for example...

that we were going to have COVID inquiry responses that are going to require money, a Grenfell inquiry, a post office inquiry that we haven't got yet. Everybody knew that the NHS was in more trouble than we thought. Everyone knew that we were going to have to spend more on public sector pay in order to solve strikes.

that we were going to have COVID inquiry responses that are going to require money, a Grenfell inquiry, a post office inquiry that we haven't got yet. Everybody knew that the NHS was in more trouble than we thought. Everyone knew that we were going to have to spend more on public sector pay in order to solve strikes.

So the dishonesty was that they were saying we don't need those taxes, even though we're keeping them in our back pocket. Now, my question, and I say this a lot, is did they need to lean that far in? Did they really need to go that far to win the election? Because the problem they've stored up for themselves is that every tax increase will now be seen as a trust issue.

So the dishonesty was that they were saying we don't need those taxes, even though we're keeping them in our back pocket. Now, my question, and I say this a lot, is did they need to lean that far in? Did they really need to go that far to win the election? Because the problem they've stored up for themselves is that every tax increase will now be seen as a trust issue.

And I personally think the biggest problem in politics right now is trust. People don't trust politicians. And what Keir Starmer needed to do was to come in and be someone who the public could trust. And now he would argue that it's completely unfair, but the freebie row, followed by,

And I personally think the biggest problem in politics right now is trust. People don't trust politicians. And what Keir Starmer needed to do was to come in and be someone who the public could trust. And now he would argue that it's completely unfair, but the freebie row, followed by,

Again, I don't think it's the same as the type of ruthlessness I was talking about. I think it's a sort of political argument that they're trying to make now about the black hole. And look, some of it was stuff they didn't know about. Some of it they should have known about. The reality is it's a political argument that they're trying to make in order to now break manifesto promises.

Again, I don't think it's the same as the type of ruthlessness I was talking about. I think it's a sort of political argument that they're trying to make now about the black hole. And look, some of it was stuff they didn't know about. Some of it they should have known about. The reality is it's a political argument that they're trying to make in order to now break manifesto promises.

Really, if they were being responsible... all of them, those national insurance cuts that the Conservatives put in place should never have happened. The public finances could not handle national insurance cuts when they were made, and that has left anyone in a very sticky position now.

Really, if they were being responsible... all of them, those national insurance cuts that the Conservatives put in place should never have happened. The public finances could not handle national insurance cuts when they were made, and that has left anyone in a very sticky position now.

I suspect that a full break of the manifesto is impossible, as in they'll try and argue the semantics on national insurance for employers. A full break is impossible. It's worth saying in 1997... Blair came in and basically did the same thing, said we're going to stick by conservative spending plans over the first period.

I suspect that a full break of the manifesto is impossible, as in they'll try and argue the semantics on national insurance for employers. A full break is impossible. It's worth saying in 1997... Blair came in and basically did the same thing, said we're going to stick by conservative spending plans over the first period.

He then won in 2001 and then they raised income tax by a penny in order to pay for things. And I suspect they're following the same kind of path here. The only thing is, I just wonder if... as I said before, they overshot in terms of what they were saying before. I think the ruthlessness, it's almost like if you're being ruthless about it, you'd almost do the opposite.

He then won in 2001 and then they raised income tax by a penny in order to pay for things. And I suspect they're following the same kind of path here. The only thing is, I just wonder if... as I said before, they overshot in terms of what they were saying before. I think the ruthlessness, it's almost like if you're being ruthless about it, you'd almost do the opposite.

If you're going to be ruthless about it, you'd break no manifesto promises and you'd have less money to spend because you would feel like politically there was no room for manoeuvre. But they are giving themselves room on one thing, which I think is quite a big deal, which is they are going to change their fiscal rules. Again, it can look like a Trust issue, it can look like a manifesto break.

If you're going to be ruthless about it, you'd break no manifesto promises and you'd have less money to spend because you would feel like politically there was no room for manoeuvre. But they are giving themselves room on one thing, which I think is quite a big deal, which is they are going to change their fiscal rules. Again, it can look like a Trust issue, it can look like a manifesto break.