The Rundown Podcast: Will Rishi Sunak's Spring Statement Prove He's A Tax-Cutting Tory?
2 min read
On this week's episode of The Rundown – Alain Tolhurst, Adam Payne and Eleanor Langford discuss the upcoming Spring Statement, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's release from prison in Iran after six years, and Boris Johnson's energy-emergency trip to the Middle East.
We're joined by Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden to discuss what more Rishi Sunak needs to do to help those struggling with the cost of living when he delivers his Spring Statement to the Commons on Wednesday.
McFadden accuses the Chancellor of a “cynical” move in refusing to cut taxes in next week’s mini-Budget and instead hold them back for a future election.
McFadden told PoliticsHome that Sunak believes he is a “Thatcherite tax-cutting Chancellor, but in his deeds is closer to Ted Heath”.
“I don't know who the Chancellor is convincing with these constant hymns of praise to Thatcherism,” the Labour frontbencher said.
"We're seeing a combination of tax raises and inflation growing reminiscent of some decades ago, and there's a phrase in the Bible something like 'by the deeds, you shall know them'.
“And that's what I think people have got to look at, and through the actions of the Chancellor I believe he has forfeited the right for the Conservative Party to be considered as a tax-cutting party.”
Political editor Adam Payne and reporter Eleanor Langford discuss what the Foreign Office did to secure Nazanin’s release, as well as Boris Johnson’s trip to Saudi Arabia and plans to wean the West off Russian hydrocarbons with a new strategy.
The Rundown is presented by Alain Tolhurst, with Adam Payne and Eleanor Langford. The editor is Laura Silver.
Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.
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- The Rundown is a new podcast from PoliticsHome. Every Friday, our reporters are joined by the biggest names in Westminster to unpick this week’s politics.
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