The 5 words that explain why Rachel Reeves is accused of lying about the budget

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

54% : On 28 November, two days after Reeves delivered her budget, the OBR said it had informed the chancellor as early as 17 September that an improved tax take from growing wages and inflation meant the shortfall was likely smaller than initially expected - and told her in October it had been eliminated altogether.
50% : While the OBR did deliver a productivity downgrade that wiped £16bn off expected tax receipts, much of that was cancelled out by inflation and higher wage growth, leaving a £4.2bn surplus against Reeves's borrowing rules.
49% : "The only thing that was unfunded was the welfare payments which she has made and she's doing it on the backs of a lot of people out there who are working very hard and getting poorer.
49% : " Starmer admitted that at one point the government did think it would have have to breach its manifesto and increase income tax in order to raise money, but the "numbers improved" and this was averted.
48% : " Reeves told Sky News the £16bn productivity downgrade meant she needed to raise taxes and insisted, "I was honest and frank about that in the speech I gave at the beginning of November".
47% : At the centre of the row is a speech Reeves made on 4 November in which she refused to rule out tax rises three weeks before the budget.
47% : That has consequences for working people - for their jobs and for their wages, and it has consequences for the public finances too, in lower tax receipts.
47% : " Badenoch told GB News Reeves "knew exactly what she was doing" when she "told a lie" about the country's finances in order to "send a signal to the markets" and to seek favourable treatment by the bond markets to "raise money for welfare".
45% : The chancellor is in the firing line over claims she misled voters by talking up the fiscal challenge ahead of last week's budget, in which she announced £26bn in tax rises.
44% : Reeves said her budget tax rises were necessary to tackle a fiscal "black hole" that was believed to be around £20bn.
42% : That surplus also did not take into account the cost of the U-turn on cutting winter fuel payments or welfare reform, as well as the abolition of the two-child benefit cap.
37% : "She was raising taxes to pay for welfare.
33% : What has the response been? Conservative leader Badenoch said Reeves should resign, claiming she was trying to justify tax rises for her welfare measures, such as abolishing the two-child benefit cap, to appease unhappy Labour MPs.
27% : Writing on social media earlier in the week, Badenoch said: "For months Reeves has lied to the public to justify record tax hikes to pay for more welfare.

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