Daily Mail readers have blasted Rachel Reeves‘s plans to hit middle-class earners with bombshell income tax hikes, saying she is ‘attacking the wrong people’.
Commenters were staunchly opposed to reports the Chancellor will go back on Labour‘s manifesto promise not to increase taxes for ‘working people’ in her Budget on November 26.
In an early-morning Downing Street speech yesterday, Ms Reeves made it clear she is considering taking Britain back to 1975 – the last time a Labour chancellor raised the basic rate of income tax.
Ms Reeves insisted ‘we will all have to contribute’ to closing the gap, reeling off a laundry list of factors to blame – including Brexit, the Tories, Covid, the Ukraine war and President Trump’s tariffs.
In doing so, she effectively confirmed that she will need to push taxes up again, with some believing she could need a package on the same scale as last year, which raised more than £40billion.
The move has sparked debate among politicians but this is what Daily Mail readers had to say in response to yesterday’s announcement.
Extra tax payments equivalent to a ‘whole week’s worth of food’
Commenters were overwhelmingly apprehensive about the impact the proposed changes to income tax would have on Brits, with many checking out how much more they would have to pay in the Mail’s calculator.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers a speech in the media briefing room of 9 Downing Street ahead of the Budget
Some said the extra tax payments would be equivalent to a ‘whole week’s worth of food’, which they could not afford.
One reader, who is facing an £83 hike, wrote: ‘Entered my salary into the calculator and nearly cried!
‘If she increases income tax by 2 per cent, I’d lose an extra £1000 a year.
‘I have already stopped all luxuries including a TV licence. I don’t have £83 spare a month to give her.’
Meanwhile, another person said they would have to pay £200 extra a month – as they blasted the proposals as ‘disgusting’.
A third said the hikes they were facing were equivalent to a ‘whole week’s worth of food’.
‘I’m on the edge of giving up! Why should I work? I have done the math and I would be financially better off on benefits,’ a fourth wrote.
Labour government is the ‘worst ever’
Some readers argued that the proposed changes to tax in the November Budget, rendered the current Labour government the ‘worst ever’.
There have also been calls from the Tory party for Ms Reeves to be sacked but she was insisted she is ‘not going to walk away because the situation is difficult’.
One person wrote in the Daily Mail comments section: ‘Just the worst government ever. They have absolutely no idea how to run a country.’
A second person added: ‘They came into government without the mandate of the people, nearly 80% of the country did not want them.
‘It’s now high time we removed them from government. It’s clear that democracy is being denied here, but somehow, we need to remove them.’
A third questioned whether anybody would be able to say they are proud to vote Labour as a result.
They wrote: ‘Who can honestly say that they are voting labour or proud that they voted for this?
‘Is that what you wanted just grinding every day hard working people to the bone? I’ve lost all faith this government can do what they want with no accountability.
‘Another three years of this! Whoever takes over the mess good luck will they even be able to fix the mess.’
Tax proposals will have ‘negative’ impact on pensioners
Some Daily Mail readers raised specific concerns about the impact Ms Reeves’s proposed changes would have on people aged 65 and above.
One person wrote: ‘Pensioners like myself will be considering going out to socialise/meet other pensioners less, reducing or even stopping participating in voluntary work as we incur costs associated with it.
‘We will have less to spend like everyone will and such actions will contribute to the negative impact on the economy that is about to increase as it is already suffering from Reeves’s actions.
‘The UK is about to enter a period of extreme financial and economic distress – the signals are already there.
‘She needs to cut Government expenditure if she is serious about us all sharing the pain.’
Rachel Reeves must ‘resign now’
Some Daily Mail readers also reiterated calls from senior Tories for Ms Reeves to resign as Chancellor.
However, Ms Reeves has pushed back, telling LBC’s Andrew Marr: ‘And what do you think would happen in financial markets if I did that?’
One commenter wrote: ‘There’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Every time she says ‘she won’t’, it turns out she has to. So, eventually, she WILL resign.’
A second added: ‘I can’t believe she is the Chancellor. A random person joins the Labour Party, becomes an MP, has a very common degree in Economics, works briefly in a bank and is now in charge of the country’s finances.’
Meanwhile, a third said: ‘The facts are Reeves is totally and utterly clueless.’
‘Excellent news – services need to be paid for’
Some Daily Mail readers welcomed the news that the basic rate of income tax may be increased for the for the first time in 50 years.
One person wrote: ‘Excellent news. Services need to be paid for.
‘At last, someone with the courage to fix this stinking right-wing mess.’
Meanwhile, a second added: ‘Time to face facts! We will ALL have to pay more for a better future! Well done Rach. Go get em!
‘You’re doing us all proud. We know you have a difficult job to do and you’re doing brilliant. Credit where credit is due. The boomers will always moan!’
