Kemi Badenoch criticizes Labour for avoiding necessary spending cuts

Kemi Badenoch told reporters in central London on Monday that Labour will lack the “courage” to make the public‑spending cuts she says are needed to lower debt and fund defence, just days before Chancellor John Healey is due to deliver the next Budget.

Badenoch made the comment as the UK faces a sharp rise in borrowing and pressure from the International Monetary Fund to bring its fiscal path back on track. The IMF recently praised Britain’s plan to curb borrowing, but the Conservatives argue that Labour’s proposals would leave the public sector oversized and the debt burden growing. The Budget will be the first under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and comes at a time when the government is trying to meet a pledge to raise defence spending to 3 % of national income by 2030.

Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson dismissed Badenoch’s argument as “reverse Robin Hood politics”, accusing the Conservatives of giving tax breaks to the wealthy while offering nothing to ordinary people. Badenoch said her party aims to find £70 billion of savings, half of which would go to reducing the deficit, and that cuts are easier to accept if they are seen as fair. She warned that Labour’s plan to “kick tough decisions into the long grass” and rely on small tax tweaks and modest welfare spending would not convince investors, especially if the party calls an election before any real cuts are made. Current figures show borrowing of £18.3 billion in August and debt interest payments of £8.8 billion, the highest since records began in 1997.

Healey is expected to outline his tax and spending plans on 28 October, but details on defence funding and welfare reforms are likely to be delayed until a spending review next year and a separate review of young people and work led by former minister Alan Milburn. The clash between the two parties sets the stage for a Budget that could shape the political debate ahead of a possible snap election, and will test whether the government can convince markets that it has a credible plan to rein in borrowing while protecting public services.