Labour is “absolutely not” engaged in a class war, the prime minister has said.

Sir Keir Starmer was asked by Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby if the changes to inheritance tax and putting VAT on private school fees show the new government is looking to wage a “class war” on wealthier people.

The prime minister said he is “absolutely not” taking part in such action.

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He was asked about his position as thousands of farmers protested in Westminster over the changes to inheritance tax – which Sir Keir said will only impact a “typical” case with estates worth more than £3m.

Labour reintroduced inheritance tax on agricultural properties in its budget this year, with farmers able to pass down land and assets tariff-free since the early 1990s.

Sir Keir said such measures are necessary to raise the funds for housing, schools and other public services that are needed across the UK – including in rural communities.

And he said VAT on private schools will help pay for teachers and resources in state education.

Rather than a class war, Sir Keir said his government is taking a “balanced approach” to “fill a black hole” in the public finances.

He also reiterated inheritance tax on farms is still only 20% and payable over 10 years.

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On schools, Sir Keir said: “I do know that people watching this will save hard to send their child to a private school because they think that’s the best thing for their child.

“But every single parent wants opportunity and aspiration for their child and up until now, we haven’t had the right number of teachers in basic subjects like maths, etc in our state secondary schools. I’m not prepared to tolerate that for our state schools.”

The prime minister has also made increasing economic growth one of his main priorities while in government.

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Asked if he was disappointed the economy has barely grown since Labour took over, Sir Keir said: “I want those figures to improve. They’re not good enough, and I want them to improve.”

He added that getting investment into the UK was the best way to get the economy growing.

The prime minister was speaking from Brazil, where he is attending a summit of the G20.

‘High cost’ if Russian aggression pays off

On foreign affairs, the prime minister was asked about new developments in Russia’s nuclear policy.

Vladimir Putin has agreed an update to his country’s doctrine, saying Russia could consider using nuclear weapons if it is subject to a conventional missile assault on it supported by a nuclear power.

And Moscow subsequently claimed Ukraine had fired long-range, US-supplied ATACMS missiles cross-border.

Asked if people should be worried about the threat of a nuclear war, the prime minister said: “My message is that we need to ensure that Ukraine is put in the best possible position.”

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He added that today marked the 1,000th anniversary of the war in Ukraine – and “there is a very high cost if Russian aggression is seen to pay off”.

“A cost that we will all pay, because this is not just about sovereignty in Ukraine.

“It’s about our freedoms. It’s about our way of life and it impacts everybody across the United Kingdom.”