Starmer 'knew about' Rachel Reeves' Budget black hole 'lies'

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

55% : However, it has emerged that the OBR told her as long ago as September that productivity downgrades were being offset by better tax revenues.
53% : However, the letter from the OBR to the Treasury committee revealed that it told Ms Reeves in September that revisions to tax revenues had almost completely offset a £21billion productivity downgrade.
50% : In fact Budget forecasts showed her running a small surplus, with only Labour's own political choices meaning that she needed to impose a massive package of tax hikes.
48% : But Ms Reeves has flatly denied misleading the public, telling The Guardian that the tax raid was still 'fair and necessary'.
48% : She had already U-turned on the hints of income tax rises - if they were ever seriously considered - but only after the fact they were not happening was leaked to the Financial Times.
45% : Ms Reeves made a highly unusual 'scene setter' speech in Downing Street on November 4 hinting that she would have to breach Labour's manifesto promises not to increase income tax.
43% : No10 and Treasury insiders have been pointing out that the OBR's forecast of a surplus did not account for the U-turn on scrapping the winter fuel payment, or bowing to Labour MPs on abandoning welfare curbs and abolishing the two-child benefit cap.
42% : And six days later she gave an interview to the BBC in which she insisted that the only way to balance the books without an income tax hike was to cut 'capital spending' - something she made clear she was not willing to do.
40% : The Tories have accused Ms Reeves of 'lying' to soften the country up for tax increases.
39% : The Tories have accused Ms Reeves of 'lying' to soften the country up for tax increases The OBR made clear it had told Ms Reeves as long ago as September that productivity downgrades were being offset by better tax revenues In the event the Chancellor announced an eye-watering £30billion package of tax rises on Wednesday, a large chunk of which went on benefits rises that had been demanded by mutinous Labour MPs.
20% : As the Budget loomed, the Chancellor flagged that the OBR was downgrading productivity, as well as blaming everything from Brexit to Tory austerity and Donald Trump for a grim outlook.

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