Sir Keir Starmer will follow the Welsh Government and hike taxes across the UK, a senior Treasury minister has declared.
Laura Trott, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the Labour leader will have to hit working families “to fund his £28billion spending spree”.
The stark warning comes after the Labour-run Welsh Government announced huge cuts to public services and removed rate relief for thousands of firms.
Pubs, shops and restaurants will see their business rates go up in another blow to struggling families.
While health spending is increasing in Wales, every other department faces real terms cuts, with rural affairs worst hit.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott MP said: “Labour in Wales have today done what Labour always do in power – raised taxes.
“Keir Starmer called Wales his ‘blueprint’, and we can all see why – these sort of tax rises are exactly what he would have to do across the whole UK to fund his £28 billion spending spree.
“In contrast, the Conservative Government have taken the difficult decisions to halve inflation so personal and business taxes could be cut around the country.”
The Welsh Government blamed high inflation for having £1.3bn less than when the budget was set in 2021.
Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said: “We have had to take some really difficult decisions to radically redesign our spending plans to focus funding on the services which matter most to the people of Wales”.
But Andrew RT Davies, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, criticised the Welsh government for blaming Westminster for its problems. He said: “Labour ministers have run Wales for 24 years, failing to reform public services and deliver results for the people of Wales.” He claimed “pet projects” such as the wide-ranging 20mph speed limit were leading to cuts in areas such as rural affairs.
Business rate relief for pubs, shops and restaurants will be reduced from 75 per cent to 40 per cent.
The Welsh government said the discount, which dates back to the pandemic, was “never intended to continue indefinitely”.
It remains at 75 per cent in England, where business rates are set by the UK government.
The Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective warned the move could be a “final nail in the coffin for many independent businesses”.
