Starmer Braces Nation for ‘Tough’ Budget to Prevent ‘Devastating Austerity’

Sir Keir Starmer braced the country for a “tough” budget later this week, warning that the economy is in an “even worse” state than it was in 2010, when austerity measures were implemented by the Conservative government. Speaking in Birmingham on Monday, the prime minister said the measures Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce on Wednesday are designed to prevent “devastating austerity” further down the line. He said, “This is not 1997, when the economy was decent but public services were on their knees. And it is not 2010, where public services were strong but the public finances were weak.” “We have to deal with both sides of that coin,” Starmer added, warning that the government needs to plug what he has termed a “22 billion black hole” in the nation’s finances....