What wasn’t included in Labour’s manifesto

Keir Starmer has been promising ‘no surprises’ on tax in the Labour manifesto. At first glance, he has – technically – delivered on that. There is nothing new on tax in today’s manifesto: the hikes already announced were included, and the pledge not to raise income tax, National Insurance, VAT or corporation tax were there too.

The surprise, then, is what isn’t included. There is lots of commentary on tax (attacks on Tory ‘unfunded tax cuts’, getting better ‘return for taxpayers’). But there is no comment on any other specific tax. In other words: a few tax hikes have been ruled out, and all the others are being left on the table for Labour to consider, when the party wins the election next month.

This is not, of course, how Keir Starmer and his shadow ministers have been framing the debate. The strong implication from Starmer, Rachel Reeves and others is that the tax hikes Labour has already announced are the full scope of what they are considering.