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Rishi Sunak’s “soaring” personal wealth has come under fresh attack ahead of crucial inflation figures coming out tomorrow.

In what will be a key moment in the election campaign, the rate of inflation is expected to ease back to the Bank of England’s target of 2% for the first time since spring 2021.

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The figures could provide a much needed boost for the embattled prime minister, whose key offering to voters is that the economy has “turned a corner” under his leadership and they should not risk change with Labour.

But the Labour Party says this claim is “rubbished” by data showing more than half of Brits think the cost of living crisis has become worse in the last month.

The party says that Mr Sunak’s wealth increased by £122m in the last year, while data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows millions of people continue to struggle.

Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the treasury, told Sky News: “No wonder Rishi Sunak doesn’t have a clue what working people are going through. He is entirely insulated from the cost of living crisis and totally out of touch.

“Under the Tories, taxes on working people have risen to a 70-year high and this week Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that their manifesto is unfunded.

“We need a change, we need a government that understands working people, we need a Labour government.”

Darren Jones, shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
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Darren Jones, shadow chief secretary to the treasury

ONS data released earlier this month showed 54% of people believed the cost of living has increased compared to one month ago – while just 3% of people believed it had decreased.

The biggest way people are feeling the pinch is at the supermarket – with 91% of respondents saying the price of their food shop has shot up.

The data also showed 45% of people’s rent or mortgage has increased in the last six months, while a third of people say they are unable to save anything in the year ahead.

This is despite the fact inflation is nearing normal levels, after reaching record highs in recent times and at one stage hitting a peak not seen for 40 years.

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With households still feeling the squeeze, all parties are facing pressure to do more to tackle the cost of living.

The Tories are promising tax cuts, with the prime minister on Tuesday night saying prioritising this was his “moral mission” now that inflation is back “under control”.

Meanwhile, Labour is vowing to cut energy bills through the creation of a publicly owned clean energy company, saying this could save families £300 a year.

Labour has sought to use Mr Sunak’s vast personal fortune as a dividing line during the election – saying he can’t relate to the pressures facing the rest of the country.

The personal wealth of Mr Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty rose by £122m last year, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

The couple’s fortune was estimated at £651m in the latest list, published in May, up from £529m in 2023.

This means they are richer than the King, according to the annual list of the UK’s most wealthy people.

Mr Sunak was a hedge fund manager before entering politics, while his wife is a businesswoman and the daughter of an Indian billionaire.

The bulk of the couples’ wealth derives from shares in Infosys, the IT company co-founded by Ms Murty’s father.

A Conservative spokesperson hit back at Labour’s attack by claiming the party was facing a £38bn black hole in their finances – a figure that Labour has disputed.

“Keir Starmer is desperately trying to hide the fact that the £38.5bn blackhole in Labour’s manifesto will cost households up and down the country £2094,” the spokesperson said.

The prime minister has previously insisted attacks on his personal wealth don’t bother him and last week claimed he “went without lots of things” in his childhood, including Sky TV.

He has also ramped up personal attacks against his rival Sir Keir Starmer in recent days – claiming yesterday that he lacks the “courage of his convictions” and so would find the job of prime minister “hard to do well”.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

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Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

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Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.

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