Darren Jones hit out at a journalist on Times Radio this morning after she recalled how Labour promised not to raise taxes for working people before the election.
But the new government’s Budget – unveiled on Wednesday – was the biggest tax-raising statement of its kind in UK history.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves wanted to raise £40bn through her fiscal announcement, in an attempt to plug the ”£22bn black hole” Labour says the Tories left behind in the government finances.
So Times Radio presenter Chloe Tilley asked the chief secretary to the Treasury, Jones, about how that contends with the party’s promises not to increase taxes for the working person.
She said: “The Conservatives came on this programme every single day and said Labour would raise taxes, the [think tank] Institute for Fiscal Studies said there was a ‘conspiracy of silence’ from both Labour and the Tories during that general election campaign.
“Do you want to admit now that you weren’t honest, and actually you said things that, understandably, you felt you had to say to be elected – but maybe you weren’t fully truthful in that election campaign?”
Jones furiously hit back: “No, with respect, I refute that in the strongest terms.
“I will never accept the idea that I’m being dishonest with the British people because that is absolutely not how I operate.”
As the presenter tried to cut in and say it was not her accusations, he continued: “No, you’ve accused me of dishonesty!”
Tilley replied: “No, I haven’t, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has! To be clear I’m not accused you of anything.”
“Well you’ve just asked me to apologise for being dishonest,” the minister replied.
“No, I asked you if you wanted to,” she said.
Jones replied: “And I’m not willing to, because I haven’t been dishonest. And it’s really important when commentators suggest this about politicians, that you give them the chance to say clearly why that issn’t the case.”
He added that the spending watchdog the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the IFS and the general public did not know how the Tories were “hiding the state of he public finances”.
In its review on Wednesday the OBR said that then Conservative Treasury had not revealed the £9.5bn of net pressures of departments’ budgets in 2024-5 when preparing for its March Budget.
Treasury sources insisted that was the figure in February and that it had now grown to £22bn.
The watchdog also added that if this information about the spending pressures within Tory departments had been available, “we would have reached a materially different judgement” about spending for the year.
Responding to Jones’ media round, the shadow secretary to the Treasury, Gareth Davies, said: “After being forced to claim he’s not dishonest, Darren Jones has this morning followed Rachel Reeves and admitted Labour will make working people poorer.
“Darren Jones should have had the courage to be honest with the British people about Labour’s plans during the election. It’s sad and disappointing they felt they couldn’t be straight with the British people.”