Families told to prepare for council tax hike: Tories issue fresh warning that Keir Starmer will raid hard-pressed households after he refuses to rule out changes to rates
The Tories today issued a fresh warning that Sir Keir Starmer could raid families if he wins power - after the Labour leader refused to rule out changes to council tax rates.
In a fresh battle between the parties over their future tax plans, the Conservatives claimed Labour posed a 'generational threat to everyone's financial security'.
They pointed to Sir Keir's 'worrying' refusal to rule out an increase in council tax, despite the Labour leader insisting he would not hike taxes for 'working people'.
Appearing on LBC radio this morning, Sir Keir said he would not 'write the budgets for the next five years', when asked about possible changes to council tax.
Labour has already ruled out taxes on so-called 'working people', including VAT, income tax, and national insurance.
![The Tories issued a fresh warning that Sir Keir Starmer could raid families if he wins power - after the Labour leader refused to rule out changes to council tax rates](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/14/86264531-0-image-a-78_1718717742735.jpg)
The Tories issued a fresh warning that Sir Keir Starmer could raid families if he wins power - after the Labour leader refused to rule out changes to council tax rates
![Tory minister Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, claimed Labour posed a 'generational threat to everyone's financial security'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/18/14/86265155-0-image-a-79_1718717766276.jpg)
Tory minister Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, claimed Labour posed a 'generational threat to everyone's financial security'
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Sir Keir plans to remove the VAT exemption for private schools to pay for 6,500 more state sector teachers.
He also wants to close tax loopholes for high-earning non-domiciled UK residents in order to provide more cash for other public services.
But the Tories have suggested Labour could raise certain other taxes.
They have pointed to a lack of detail in the Labour manifesto on an exemption from inheritance tax for farmers and the need for councils to hold a referendum on an increase in local taxes.
Facing questions from LBC listeners on a radio call-in show, Sir Keir continued to insist Labour has no plans to raise taxes outside those it has already specified.
'None of our plans require tax rises over and above the ones we have set out,' he said.
Pressed on whether this would include a council tax band revaluation, he said: 'What I am not going to do is sit here two-and-a-bit weeks before the election and write the budgets for the next five years.
'What I can say is that none of our plans require a tax rise, and that is for a reason, and the reason is our focus in getting our economy going, on building, on growing, on raising living standards, on creating wealth.'
Asked what he meant when he said he would not raise taxes for 'working people', Sir Keir said: 'The person I have in my mind when I say working people is people who earn their living, rely on our services, and don't really have the ability to write a cheque when they get into trouble.'
Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds had earlier suggested to ITV's Good Morning Britain that Labour would not need to revaluate council tax, following similar assurances by shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth yesterday.
But Tory minister Laura Trott, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said: 'After repeated questioning, Keir Starmer has confirmed higher council tax and other tax rises are on the cards for pensioners and families if Labour win.
'It's worrying that Keir Starmer won't come clean about how much money a Labour government will raid from families – especially as Labour will be unaccountable after it locks itself into government for a generation by rigging the system through bringing in votes at 16.
'Only the Conservatives have a clear plan to cut taxes. Labour's £2,094 tax raid is just the beginning – they are a generational threat to everyone's financial security.'