Keir Starmer’s punk Trussonomics

Keir Starmer's punk Trussonomics

SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE May 02, 2023 View in browser Keir Starmer's punk Trussonomics  The Labour leader was interviewed on the Today programme this morning and said: "The question you put to me, 'Wouldn't it be sensible to raise taxes even higher?' I think the high-tax, low-growth model doesn't work, I think it's busted." The question was actually about why he had dropped his leadership election pledge to raise income tax on the top 5 per cent of earners. He could have said he had found other ways to raise taxes on the better-off, such as taxing school fees, abolishing non-dom status and higher tax on private equity firms – but instead he sounded like a simplistic Liz Truss. He knows that the reason we have "the highest tax burden since the Second World War" is not because the government has a "high-tax model" but because we have to pay for the £400bn of coronavirus support for jobs.    Quiz question Who was deputy prime minister under Liz Truss? Answer at the bottom of today's email Daily briefing Row over future of Britain's top civil servant Simon Case The cabinet secretary is facing calls to resign. Labour will abandon a pledge to scrap tuition fees It is the latest of Sir Keir Starmer's 2020 leadership pledges to be scrapped. Starmer is "confident" Sue Gray did not break the rules in taking Labour job Sir Keir insisted "no discussions whatsoever" were had while Ms Gray was investigating Partygate. Articles driving the biggest conversations Mapped: Dozens of 'blue wall' councils being targeted by tactical voters Articles available exclusively to subscribers Will the Tories really lose 1,000 seats at the local elections? What else do you need to know today? Waiting for Sue Gray, again: the written ministerial statement on her departure from the civil service had not been published by the time this newsletter went to press The NHS staff council accepted the government's pay deal, leaving the Royal College of Nursing isolated but still threatening further strikes James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, told the Commons 22 of 24 non-UK national NHS doctors in Sudan have now been evacuated Geoffrey Hinton, who worked on artificial intelligence for Google, has quit, warning of the danger of technology Thanks to Archie Mitchell without whom this newsletter would not be possible Rentoul's reading list Kate Andrews of The Spectator: reviving "Help to Buy" would be disastrous for the housing market (paywall)  Henry Hill of Conservative Home writes about "how much I hate, hate, hate" Greg Hands, the Tory chair, using and re-using Labour's 2010 "I'm afraid there is no money" letter I wrote for Independent Premium about Keir Starmer's latest U-turn, on tuition fees: Blairite, but without the explanation and the hard policy work I wrote at the weekend about his confirmation that he has long been opposed to proportional representation £99 £20 for 1 year ✓ Full access to Premium news analysis ✓ Advert-free reading across web and app ✓ The Independent Daily Edition newspaper ✓ Puzzles, virtual event tickets and more SUBSCRIBE NOW Inside the bubble Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for tomorrow Prime Minister's Questions at noon is bound to get personal (again) ahead of Thursday's local elections in England.  The other theme will be science. Patrick Vallance, a regular at the Downing Street press conferences during the pandemic, will give evidence to the Science and Technology Committee in a valedictory session after standing down as chief scientific officer (9.30 am). Chloe Smith, who has taken over as science secretary while Michelle Donelan is on maternity leave, and her ministers will answer Commons questions at 11.30am.  Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman will launch the government's new fraud strategy to stop the scammers, which will make a change from their pledges to stop the boats. The Commons will rise for the Coronation recess until next Tuesday. And finally "So what's it like living in a place with no freedom of speech?" "Can't complain." 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