Moment Keir blasts Rishi’s retirement tax promise a ‘desperate gimmick’ – before PM hits back at ‘nonsense’
THIS is the moment Sir Keir Starmer labelled Rishi Sunak's retirement tax promise a "desperate gimmick" before the PM hit back with "that's nonsense".
The race for No10 has electrified as both Tory and Labour leaders make their opening pitch to Brits in the high-stakes showdown.
Mr Sunak is desperate to claw back ground in the polls which currently have Sir Keir on course to storm into Downing Street on July 5.
Tonight’s ITV head-to-head comes after both main parties were blindsided by Nigel Farage’s shock political comeback as leader of Reform UK.
Sir Keir said: "What the Prime Minister's done so far in the first two weeks of this campaign is to make desperate gimmicks on the table.
"He's told us it's their policy to get rid of National Insurance altogether. That's £46 billion. He said it's their policy to get rid of inheritance tax. That's £10 billion. He says he's going to get rid of tax on pensioners..."
Mr Sunak cut in: "That's nonsense."
In their first bruising head-to-head the PM said the Labour leader is coming for “your work, your car, your pension – you name it, Labour will tax it. It's in their DNA.”
Sir Keir refused ten times to deny taxes would be hiked under Labour - as the pair clashed on the NHS, borders and their own trustworthiness.
The Prime Minister claimed Labour would raise taxes and “raid” people’s pension pots, while Starmer branded “Britain’s experts in tax rises.”