Keir’s ‘£45bn spending splurge’

LABOUR was accused last night of shredding Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to end the party’s big spending reputation after announcing £45billion of commitments in a fortnight.

At the start of this year, the Labour leader promised the party would no longer commit to ‘getting its big government chequebook out’.

But Treasury analysis suggests that since the speech on January 6, Labour frontbenchers have made spending commitments totalling £45.2billion, which would cost an extra £1,650 in tax per household.

Chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen said: ‘ Labour have already broken their New Year’s resolutions by reaching for the “big government chequebook”.’

Labour said many of the statements were not firm commitments – adding its election manifesto would be ‘fully costed’.