The five biggest promises broken by Labour after just five months | Politics | News

Labour has been in power for just five months and have already been accused of breaking many manifesto promises it used to win over the British public.

From announcing the biggest Budget tax hike in history to axing winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners, the party has introduced a litany of controversial measures since taking office in July.

Sir Keir Starmer and his Government have also been slammed for its treatment of farmers following its inheritance tax raid, which has already sparked multiple protests in Central London.

The new rule means farmers will have to pay a death duty of 20% on assets worth over £1 million.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has slammed Labour for delivering “broken promise after broken promise” which ultimately means “working people will pay the price”.

In October, Rachel Reeves unveiled the highest tax hike in history with an eye-watering £40 billion raid in a Budget of “broken promises” which will leave the average household £770 poorer by the end of Parliament.

The measures are said to generate billions for the NHS, but the high-tax, high-spend, big borrowing plan is expected to raise inflation and mortgage costs.

Following the highly controversial Budget, Labour was quickly accused of breaking its election pledge to rule out surprise tax rises.

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fumed: “She [Reeves] specifically told the British people she wouldn’t change the debt target because, and I quote she said, ‘I’m not going to fiddle the figures to get better results’.

“But that is exactly what she has done. She has gone back on her word and fiddled the figures so that she can borrow billions more. Broken promise after broken promise, and working people will pay the price.”

Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Tuesday that the government will reject payment claims from most of the 3.6 million women born in the 1950s who were not adequately notified about the increase in the state pension age.

The parliamentary ombudsman recommended in March compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 to each of those affected. But the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign had called for payments of at least £10,000 each.

The government has dismissed the idea of a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost up to £10.5 billion, as unjustifiable.

It also stated that devising a tailored compensation scheme that considers individual circumstances and offers fairness, value for money, and feasibility is not possible.

In 2022, Keir Starmer supported “fair and fast” compensation for the WASPI women, and in 2019, Angela Rayner said a Labour government “will compensate” them, leaving people angered that they’ve gone back on their promises.

One of Labour’s key pledges in the run-up to the General Election was cutting energy bills by up to £300 from 2030, with 48 MPs promising Great British Energy would do so.

This figure was based on a report by energy think tank Ember. It predicted that, if the UK met its renewable energy commitments, the average household electricity bill would drop by around £300 in 2030 compared to 2023.

However, this number is based on the energy price cap from July to September of last year, which has since decreased.

Labour has now shifted its focus to achieving a Net Zero power grid by 2030, a far more ambitious feat than the Tories‘ environmental targets.

A report by National Energy System Operator (NESO) commissioned by Net Zero Secretary Ed Milliband’s new energy watchdog found his energy policies will actually increase people’s bills.

Despite promising to protect pensioners, Labour has axed winter fuel paymets for around 10 million of them who would otherwise be able to claims £200 or £300 depending on when they were born.

Their decision to means-test the payment is expected to save the Treasury £1.4 billion but has proved incredibly divisive within the party, with 52 MPs refusing to vote on it in September.

By Labour’s own admission, completely scrapping winter fuel payments would plunge up to 100,000 pensioners into poverty by 2026 and result in the death of 4,000, according to the party’s analysis in 2017.

Labour backbencher Neil Duncan-Jordan, MP for Poole, said: “The poorest pensioners in our society are those who are eligible for the pension credit but don’t claim it, or are just a few pounds above the threshold and miss out on passported support.

“Means testing by its very nature is simply not the best way to get help to those who need it most, so will the minister reconsider the recent decision to means-test the winter fuel allowance?”

Last year, now-Defra Secretary Steve Reed told the Country Land and Business Association Labour would not raise inheritance tax.

Similarly, Keir Starmer told farmers that “they deserve better” and “losing a farm is not like losing any other business, it can’t come back” when he was leader of the opposition.

Since then, Rachel Reeves announced a 20% death duty on assets worth over £1 million, sparking widespread outrage amongst farmers who say they now cannot afford to die.

There have already been two protests in Central London against the inheritance tax raid, which have seen hundreds of farmers take to the streets, some bringing their tractors to the marches.