Sunak: Starmer’s Labour would inflict ‘irreversible’ harm within weeks
Sir Keir Starmer could inflict “irreversible damage” on the UK within 100 days of entering Downing Street, Rishi Sunak warned, as time runs out for him to save the Tories’ election hopes.
The Prime Minister said Labour “cannot be trusted” and predicted that the plan to impose VAT on private schools would cause “chaos” for families.
Meanwhile, Labour said Sir Keir’s first steps would be restoring economic stability and cutting NHS waiting lists as “the work of change begins”.
The Tories made a series of claims about the impact of Labour’s announced policies and speculation about further measures Sir Keir could introduce.
Private schools
The Conservatives claimed up to 134,000 children in private schools could be forced into the state sector by September, although the 2018 report on which this assertion is based points to that figure as a possibility over five years.
The Tories also pointed to a series of tax rises which Labour has not ruled out, but which are not party policy, along with speculation about other measures such as a Europe-wide youth mobility scheme and granting votes to EU citizens, which are also not Labour policies.
The attacks come as the Conservatives battle to close Labour’s opinion poll lead, which has remained at around 20 points despite the Tory campaign.
Mr Sunak said: “It’s clear that Labour would do irreversible damage within just 100 days of coming to power.
“Whether it’s announcing a suite of tax rises or throwing thousands of families’ plans for the autumn term into chaos, with children wondering if they will have a desk at school to go back to.
“Labour would throw open our borders with their illegal migrant amnesty and free movement for under-30s in their deal with the EU, making us the soft touch migrant capital of the world.
“They cannot be trusted. We must not surrender our taxes, our borders and our security to them. Only the Conservatives will deliver tax cuts, a growing economy and a brighter, more secure future for everyone.”
In a Sunday Telegraph interview, he added that Labour’s tax plans would “bankrupt people in every generation”.
Chaos
Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden argued that it was the Tories who had already delivered chaos, and his party which offered the hope of change.
He said: “The country faces a big choice on Thursday. If you vote Tory on Thursday – or don’t vote at all – nothing will change.
“The NHS won’t get any better. The Tory manifesto threatens another instalment of Liz Truss. The doom loop of low growth and high tax won’t change.
“The Tory Party itself won’t change – the lessons from Partygate, dodgy Covid contracts and the insider betting scandal won’t be learned.
“Chaos will continue, and they’ll continue to put their own interests before the country’s.
“If they won another five years, they’d think they could get away with anything.
“If you vote Labour on Thursday, the work of change begins. Our priority will be wealth creation to make the country better off.
“We’ll get to work on our first steps including restoring economic stability and cutting NHS waiting lists. And we will break with recent years by putting country before party, every time.”
Mr Sunak, a Hindu, spent part of the final weekend of the campaign visiting the Neasden Temple.
On the Saturday night visit he said he felt he had the community’s “blessing”, adding: “I’m determined to never let you down.”
Sir Keir used his final Saturday of the campaign to hold a celebrity-laced rally in London, with messages of support from Sir Elton John and Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington.
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Tories over last 14 years have already been and done that everything Sunak says his party has already done
What a barefaced liar this apology for a human being is…totally unhinged just like his mate Fat Shanks…old ladies clinging to their Telegraph…pathetic…
Says the leader of the ‘Irreversible Harm’ party. Their reason for being is to financially asphyxiate millions. One example. Ever since Thatcher, we have had the homeowner dream only for the interest rates to be whacked up and people lose their homes. A cycle that repeats over and over, the latest episode being the intervention of the lunatic lettuce. Every time, we never really get to know how many have lost their homes as a direct result of the actions of his party. I hear this morning that Labour will be making an announcement on housing within days of taking… Read more »
The Tories have been dire indeed, but never forget what came before: 13 years of Labour that left the UK on its knees. In Wales, still a Labour/Plaid stronghold, the current achievements – after devolution by way of a tiny turnout and a majority that dwarfed Brexit’s – now stand before us. A bunch of self-serving cronies appointing themselves to cozy, lucrative positions of power, an utter disdain for democracy, dystopian Net Zero fanaticism destroying the economy and making people’s lives miserable, crackpot gender ideology being taught as if it’s fact in our schools. We also have some of (if… Read more »
On its knees in 2010? If so, only because of the global financial meltdown, so hardly a fair point. The unthinking on the right love to make out that Labour overspend and indiscipline brought us financial collapse – but pretty much every Western economy teetered on the brink as previously reasonable spending plans got shredded. Let’s remember that in the 2005 election the Conservatives were happily promising to match Labour spending plans AND somehow cut taxes at the same time. But yes, in those 13 years, Labour were awful weren’t they? Establishing a minimum wage and increasing paid holiday entitlement… Read more »
I isn’t really a question about how the country or the UK should be governed where Reform is the answer.
The Tories know they’ve lost so rather than highlight how they’ll change things they focus on attacking Labour day and night. Trying to get a vote from fear. It won’t work, Labour aren’t perfect by any means but by god they are far better than the Conservatives. Let’s finally get this election sorted so we can all move on.
Considering the damage the Tories have done, Sunak really ought to shut up. People in glass houses, etc.
Anybody recall “New Labour, New Danger” from the 1997 campaign? Are the Tories so short of ideas they’re just trying the exact same scaremongering?!
How dare he!
Starmer should know at this stage in his political career that only Tories are allowed to inflict irreversible harm.