Slash spending instead of hiking taxes at the Budget, Badenoch says
Kemi Badenoch sharply criticized Chancellor Rachel Reeves after she signaled further tax increases in the upcoming Budget. Speaking in central London, Badenoch argued that the Labour government should focus on cutting public spending rather than imposing new taxes on British citizens.
She accused the government of quietly dropping its efforts to control the rising welfare bill and described the Chancellor’s address as lacking substance.
“The Chancellor's speech was one long waffle bomb, a laundry list of excuses. She blamed everybody else for her own choices, her own decisions, her own failures.”
Badenoch dismissed Reeves’ suggestion that artificial intelligence was responsible for unemployment among graduates, asserting instead that poor fiscal management was to blame.
“It’s not AI's fault that graduates are struggling to find work. You can draw a direct line between what Rachel Reeves did in the Budget last year and the dire prospects many graduates face now.”
She noted that the UK’s tax burden is already near its highest level since World War II and accused Labour of leading the economy into stagnation.
“Only the Conservatives are committed to getting on top of spending,” she warned.
Badenoch concluded that Reeves was offering “a masterclass in managed decline,” suggesting that Labour lacks a coherent plan to restore growth and investor confidence.
Author’s Summary: Kemi Badenoch accused Labour of mismanagement and urged spending cuts instead of higher taxes, warning that fiscal drift risks damaging business confidence and growth.