The Labour leader said now was not “a time for tax cuts” and insisted that instead “it’s a time to support people through this crisis” on the cost of living.
But despite that he insisted he wouldn’t reverse Mr Kwarteng’s plans to reduce the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p from next April.
“I’ve long made the argument that we should reduce the tax burden on working people,” he said.
“That’s why we opposed the national insurance increase earlier this year, which of course the Government is now reversing.”
Earlier Mr Burnham, an influential figure within the party who has been tipped as a possible future leader, said Labour should abolish both tax cuts.
He told Sky News that “now is not the time for tax cuts” and described the Government’s economic plans as “radical and deeply wrong, and I would go so far as to say immoral”.
The Mayor of Manchester said Liz Truss had drawn “battle lines with working class people” by “splurging billions on the wealthiest people in the country”.
Confusion had hung over Labour’s position on the Tories’ tax cuts after Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, had suggested it would reverse the 1p cut to the basic rate.
Speaking to the BBC on Saturday, she said: “Well, we’ve said that, you know, the income tax cut is the wrong priority. So, yes, we don’t think that that’s the priority.
“We will set out our tax proposals which will guarantee that those on the lowest wages their cost of living will improve, we will have sustainable growth into the future.
“We’ll set out our proposals towards the next election, but we’ve been very clear that those with the broadest shoulders should pay more.”
Mr Kwarteng immediately seized on the comment, tweeting that Sir Keir would deliver: “A Labour tax hike for millions.”
But party sources almost immediately contradicted her remarks.
Read original article here
