It takes a very special kind of chutzpah for Labour, led by Starmer and Reeves, to now bemoan the state of the public finances.
The £22 billion black hole they’re wringing their hands over is, in fact, largely of their own making. Yes, you heard that right! Labour’s hypocrisy on this matter is nothing short of staggering.
This is the same party that, not long ago, was pushing for longer and stricter lockdowns, conspiring with the unions to shut down Britain at a time when we could least afford it—leaving you, the taxpayer, to pick up the tab.
Let’s not forget that these lockdowns—endlessly prolonged at Labour’s behest—cost the UK an absolute fortune.
While the Conservatives worked to get the country back on its feet, it was Labour demanding we go further, we shut down harder, that we should keep the economy shuttered for longer. Their approach came with a staggering price tag—crippling businesses, piling on debt, and squeezing our public finances. And now, with a face as straight as a ruler, Rachel Reeves wants to lecture the nation about fiscal responsibility.
But wait, there’s more! What about Labour’s utter servility to the unions? Reeves and her comrades in arms bend over backwards to placate their union paymasters, promising huge pay rises to public sector workers and train drivers who are already earning far more than the average Brit. Let’s not mince words—Labour is effectively writing blank cheques to these unions, burdening the taxpayer while doing nothing to improve the productivity of our public services. These are not pay rises Britain can afford in the current climate, but Labour seems to have missed that memo.
While our public services creak and buckle, while we try to patch up the holes in our national finances, Labour, in all their wisdom, has decided to send £11 billion abroad for net zero initiatives.
Then we come to the real kicker. While our public services creak and buckle, while we try to patch up the holes in our national finances, Labour, in all their wisdom, has decided to send £11 billion abroad for net zero initiatives. Yes, £11 billion! You can’t make this up. This is money that could be helping fix the very financial hole they’re wailing about. Instead, they’re shipping it overseas to pay for vague, international climate commitments—money that should be spent here, in the UK, ensuring our own economy thrives.
Rachel Reeves and her Labour colleagues might talk tough now, but when you examine their record, it’s clear: their economic policies are disastrous. Their hypocrisy on the public finances is plain for all to see. They demanded lockdowns that bled the country dry, they bow to the unions at every turn, and they’re happy to send billions abroad when our own people and services are crying out for investment.
So, when Rachel Reeves starts banging on about a £22 billion black hole in the public finances, remember this: Labour helped dig that hole, and they’re not offering any realistic solutions to climb out of it. Quite the opposite, in fact.
By Claire Bullivant, Editor
Claire is the founder and editor of the Conservative Post and was a co-founder of the Conservative Democratic Organisation.
