RICH Brits will have to pay more taxes in future to pay for the coronavirus crisis, Labour’s new leader warned today.
Sir Keir Starmer insisted that those who could pay more would have to, so Britain can pay back the vast amounts of money it’s spending to save lives and keep the economy afloat.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has turned on the spending taps to help Britain cope – promising to pay 80 per cent of wages and funding billions of pounds of loans for businesses.
The former Shadow Brexit Secretary won the Labour crown yesterday with more than 50 per cent of the vote – and takes over from Jeremy Corbyn after four years.
He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show earlier: “I think it’s inevitable that we have to ask people who have more to pay more.
“The truth is at the moment, we don’t yet know how big this challenge is going to be until we are through this crisis.
“When we are through, there is going to have to be a reckoning.
“We are going to have to do things differently, we are going to have to build a better future.”
He also said he would agree to tougher lockdown measures to help stop the spread of the virus – if they were needed.
Asked if he would support further restrictions on exercise if people flout the rules, Sir Keir said: “Yes we would – we do have to take whatever steps are necessary, and social distancing, staying indoors is really difficult for people, it’s particularly difficult if you don’t have a garden, if you’re in a flat; and I know there are many people in overcrowded accommodation.
“But we’ve got to get through this and every time people break the guidance from the Government they put other people at risk.”
Matt Hancock today suggested that he could ban all outdoor exercise if Brits did not stick to the rules.
Yesterday sunbathers were snapped in parks across the country, flouting the social distancing rules put in place to try and slow the rate of infection.
Sir Keir said he would be willing to work with Boris Johnson during the crisis and tackle issues together.
The Prime Minister congratulated Sir Keir in a call on Saturday afternoon and the pair agreed to meet next week to discuss the Covid-19 crisis.
But he accused the PM of making huge mistakes so far in efforts to battle the virus.
Writing in the Sunday Times today, he said: “The public is placing an enormous trust in the government at the moment: it is vital that that trust is met with openness and transparency about those mistakes and the decisions that have been made.”
He’s expected to reveal his new Shadow Cabinet later today – and will axe a number of Mr Corbyn’s old top team.
In his victory speech Mr Starmer yesterday paid tribute to his ousted predecessor, but also made clear who was to blame for the party’s handling of anti-semitism.
He said: “Antisemitism has been a stain on our party. I have seen the grief that it’s brought to so many Jewish communities.
“On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry.
“And I will tear out this poison by its roots and judge success by the return of Jewish members and those who felt that they could no longer support us.”
He raked in 275,780 votes, amassing more than Mr Corbyn did when he was first elected as leader.
Mr Starmer also got a higher percentage than Tony Blair, Labour’s most successful ever leader who won three elections in a row.
