Tories dismiss PM’s budget ‘everyday fixes’ as little more than ‘cheaper gherkins’, and ‘an insult to families’ – UK politics live

Removing tariffs on more than 100 products, including gherkins and baked beans, was one of five measures announced this morning before tomorrow’s budget When Andy Burnham opened a debate on revising the Brexit settlement in his Labour conference speech, he did so on the basis of a simple proposition. He declared: “I cannot say to you truthfully that where we are is good enough. Brexit has done more harm than good.” The Conservatives have strongly attacked Burnham’s move – but mostly on the basis that the 2016 referendum decision should be honoured, that a new debate would be divisive and that Burnham’s initiative went against assurances he made during the Makerfield byelection. Very few Tories have challenged the proposition that “Brexit has done more harm than good”, and Kemi Badenoch has not seriously tried to take on this argument. Yes, I do. We certainly stand taller in the world. The terrible projections of doom as to what would happen to our financial sector etc haven’t happened. Our growth rates are higher than our European competitors. Our exports, particularly of services to the European Union, have actually rocketed. And we’ve now got more trade deals and more options around the rest of the world. Five months ago, Andy Burnham says … I’m not going to reopen these arguments. Two-and-a-half years ago, a Labour government got a massive majority in parliament saying we will not be re-entering the single market, the customs union, or opening up a debate on the free movement of people. These are welcome measures, especially making the uplift to mileage rates permanent, something Unison has campaigned hard for. The government’s relentless focus on the cost of living is commendable. But the cost of essentials, including food and fuel, is going to keep soaring, meaning breathing space will quickly be closed down. That’s why we need to see a bolder approach, based on making the wealthy pay their fair share and improving the lives of working-class communities in a more enduring way. These changes will provide £120 a year in additional tax savings for a worker doing 6,000 business miles, with someone driving 15,000 business miles receiving up to £300 in additional tax savings. Continue reading...

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