Laura Kuenssberg exposes huge flaw in Starmer’s £22bn black hole claim | Politics | News

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By Maya Cantina

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The BBC Laura Kuenssberg ruthlessly dismantled one of the Labour Party’s main demands in its blame game against the last Conservative government.

Since Labour won the election in July, the ruling party has repeatedly warned of difficult decisions ahead, blaming the Conservatives for reckless economic plans.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said it was “the worst economic legacy since the Second World War”, adding that the Government had to deal with a £22bn black hole left by the Conservatives.

However, Ms. Kuennsberg quickly dismissed this idea in an analysis of the BBC website, where she highlighted that £9 billion of that much-cited black hole figure was due to above-inflation public sector pay rises delivered by the Labour Party.

In July, Ms Reeves agreed to give British public sector workers such as teachers and doctors above-inflation pay rises worth £9.4bn in a bid to head off disruptive industrial action.

THE BBC The host wrote: “Once any government takes charge, its decisions matter.

“Part of the ‘£22bn black hole’ that Labour loves to talk about is the £9bn of public sector pay rises – above inflation – that the party has decided to deliver.”

She went on to note that Labour Party insiders say the £22 billion figure is making sense in voter focus groups.

Ms. Kuennsberg’s scathing rebuke comes ahead of her interview with Sir Keir Starmer in Number 10 which will air tomorrow morning. It will be his first major interview from Downing Street.

She summed up Labour’s tactic of shifting blame to X, posting: “The new government has been busy shifting blame, so when will the buck stop?”

Ms Kuennsberg highlighted the downbeat approach of Labour’s first two months in power, saying they had focused on the “terrible state of the economy, the appalling state of our prisons”, with an NHS review also on the way.

A senior government source told the BBC: “I am prepared for people to get tired of hearing about the legacy of Conservatives.”

THE BBC The political presenter suggested the tone of Sir Keir’s government will change in early 2025, when the government hopes to deliver on its manifesto promises.

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