Budget 2024: Keir Starmer vows to 'turn the page on Tory decline' as things are 'worse than expected'

Speaking successful Birmingham the Prime Minister said determination are amended times ahead, but admitted we 'have to beryllium realistic' astir wherever we are arsenic a state up of Rachel Reeves' archetypal Budget

Keir Starmer lashed retired astatine the Tory bequest arsenic helium vowed amended times are up - 2 days earlier his Government's archetypal Budget connected Wednesday.

In a televised speech, the Prime Minister said the nationalist "needs to beryllium realistic astir wherever we are arsenic a country" - but pledged to "protect the payslips of moving people". He said the authorities of nationalist finances is worse than helium expected during the election, claiming helium faces bigger challenges than Tony Blair oregon David Cameron erstwhile they entered No10. Mr Starmer warned of spending cuts and taxation rises - but claimed Labour would steer the state distant from much years of austerity.

Pressed by The Mirror, helium confirmed a headdress connected autobus fares crossed England won't beryllium scrapped - though it volition emergence by 50%, from £2 to £3. He besides refused to accidental whether MP Mike Amesbury should resign. Mr Amesbury was suspended by Labour connected Sunday nighttime aft CCTV footage appeared to amusement him punch a antheral successful the aboriginal hours of Saturday.

Speaking successful Birmingham, Mr Starmer admitted helium and Chancellor Rachel Reeves look "tough decisions". But helium said his Government is "turning the leafage connected Tory decline, closing the publication connected their austerity and chaos". And helium pledged that his Budget would "protect the payslips of moving people" - though helium faces a backlash implicit a emergence successful employers' National Insurance contributions which is coming connected Wednesday.

Mr Starmer said: "Look - cipher wants higher taxes, conscionable similar cipher wants nationalist spending cuts. But we person to beryllium realistic astir wherever we are arsenic a country.

"This is not 1997 (when Tony Blair became PM), erstwhile the system was decent but nationalist services were connected their knees. And it’s not 2010 (when Mr Cameron entered No10), wherever nationalist services were strong, but the nationalist finances were weak. We person to woody with some sides of that coin.

"These are unprecedented circumstances, but the fund the Chancellor volition present connected Wednesday, volition forestall devastating austerity successful our nationalist services and a disastrous way for our nationalist finances." He said that if his Government stuck to Tory plans, that was the "reality" facing Britons.

It comes aft he urged Mirror readers to "judge america by whether, successful 5 years' time, you person much wealth successful your pocket". The PM said it volition beryllium a landmark week for Britain, writing: "This is the infinitesimal that volition cull austerity, chaos and diminution and take a wide way of stability, concern and reform.

"It’s nary concealed that for fourteen years, the Tories didn’t conscionable tally a leaky vessel – they sailed it carelessly into each storm, smashing it against the rocks, and leaving the British radical to wage the price."

And successful his code helium accused the Tories of moving distant from the avalanche of problems facing the country. He branded the erstwhile Government "too anemic to either betterment sentencing oregon physique caller (prison) places, excessively frightened to behaviour a due spending review". He went on: "That’s wherefore they ran distant from that workout and called an aboriginal predetermination instead."

He told the audience: "And yes - things are worse that we could perchance person expected during the predetermination - the Budget volition acceptable that retired precise clearly."

The Prime Minister was tight-lipped astir overmuch of the contents of Ms Reeves' Budget, but did denote determination would beryllium £240million to "get Britain working". He said this currency would assistance "tackle the basal causes of economical inactivity".

And helium confirmed that the £2 headdress connected autobus fares would extremity - but promised a caller £3 bounds instead. It follows concerns that it would beryllium scrapped altogether astatine the extremity of the year.

Quizzed by The Mirror, Mr Starmer said: "On the £2 autobus fare, archetypal happening to accidental is the Tories lone funded that until the extremity of 2024 and truthful that is the extremity of the backing successful narration to a £2 capped fare. I bash cognize however overmuch this matters, peculiarly successful agrarian communities wherever there's dense reliance connected buses.

"And that's wherefore I'm capable to accidental to you this greeting that successful the Budget we volition denote determination volition beryllium a £3 headdress connected autobus fares to the extremity of 2025 due to the fact that I cognize however important it is."

Asked whether Mr Amesbury should resign helium said: "I person seen the video footage, it's shocking. We moved precise swiftly to suspend him arsenic a subordinate and arsenic a Member of Parliament.

"There is present a constabulary probe and successful the circumstances you volition admit there's not overmuch much I tin accidental astir that."