Treasury Ministers’ Tax Claims Potentially ‘Misled’ the Public: Statistics Watchdog

Published on February 20, 2024

A UK statistics watchdog has reprimanded Treasury ministers for making statements on taxes that could erode public trust. Chair of the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA), Sir Robert Chote, wrote in a letter to Labour MP Dame Angela Eagle that a statement on taxes by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott was “likely to have … misled – or at least confused” the public. Addressing the House of Commons last November, Ms. Trott said that “taxes for the average worker have gone down by £1,000.” In a separate instance, when discussing the National Insurance Contributions [NIC] Bill, Ms. Trott told lawmakers that “taxes for the average worker will have gone down by £1,000 since 2010.”...

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