Labour will today launch a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak over tax loopholes - with Keir Starmer branding him the "chief architect" of the UK's economic woes.
A new advert claiming the PM thinks it is right to raise taxes for working people despite his family benefitting from tax loopholes was posted this morning.
Labour plans to focus its attention on Mr Sunak's economic policies having been criticised over a series of ads on Tory failures tackling crime.
In a memo to the shadow cabinet, Mr Starmer said that while the current PM was Chancellor, he "wasted public money handing over billions to fraudsters at every turn".
The latest advert, to be published later today, asks: "Do you think it's right to raise taxes for working people when your family has benefitted from a tax loophole? Rishi Sunak does."
It says that the Tories have raised taxes 24 times since the 2019 election, and accused the Government of refusing to close the non-dom loophole.
The PM's wife Akshata Murty saved millions in taxes by claiming non-domicile status, it emerged last year.
Writing to shadow cabinet colleagues, Mr Starmer said Labour cannot let the PM off the hook over the UK's economic performance.
The opposition leader said Labour must "continue to focus relentlessly on exposing the failures of 13 years of this divided and weak Conservative government and demonstrate how we would deliver for working people across the country".
He said: " Rishi Sunak is the chief architect of choices prioritising the wealthiest and of the government’s failure to get a grip of the economy and get growth going.
"The Prime Minister is the Chancellor who oversaw Britain going into the pandemic so exposed that we suffered the biggest economic hit of major economies. He wasted public money handing over billions to fraudsters at every turn.
"He oversaw a stalling recovery which means that we’re the only major economy still not bigger than before the pandemic."
And the attack continued: "This is the person who cheered on failed trickle-down economics, and oversaw a declining economy whilst at the Treasury, supplying the touchpaper for another Conservative government to blow up the economy.
"And when he came back to government, he was so out of touch he continued to make choices which loaded the costs onto working people whilst protecting the wealthiest. The voters must know that Rishi Sunak’s fingerprints are all over their struggling household budgets."
He claimed that Labour has made "excellent progress" exposing Tory crime failures, saying focus will now return to the cost of living.
He wrote: "We understand only too well how tough it is for people as they struggle with rising costs.
"They are paying the price of the Tory mortgage penalty while energy bills and food prices have soared.
"Wages have stagnated and taxes for working people have increased. This was not inevitable. Working people have paid the price for Tory mistakes and Tory choices. This has to stop and it’s time for change."
He said a Labour government would reverse plans to hand the richest 1% of pension savers a £1billion boost, replacing it with a targeted scheme to keep doctors in work.
He said the non-dom loophole would be closed, funding "one of the biggest expansions of the NHS workforce in history", as well as Breakfast Clubs in primary schools.
It comes after Labour was heavily criticised over its attacks on the PM over crime.
The party has been accused of gutter politics after a series of adverts were shared on Twitter, starting with one claiming the PM doesn't think paedophiles should be locked up.
It's made many within the party uncomfortable, with MPs publicly criticising the campaign and shadow cabinet members distancing themselves.
But Mr Starmer defended the attacks, saying he stands "by every word" Labour has said.
Three adverts claim that Mr Sunak doesn't believe paedophiles, people who possess a gun with intent and thieves should go unpunished.
They claim that Labour would take a tougher stance on crime, but the singling out of the Prime Minister - who has only been in post for six months and in Parliament since 2015 - has upset many.
Writing in The Daily Mail, Mr Starmer said: "I make absolutely zero apologies for being blunt about this.
"I stand by every word Labour has said on the subject, no matter how squeamish it might make some feel.
"When 4,500 child abusers avoid prison, people don’t want more excuses from politicians – they want answers."
In the piece he claims the Tories "have let criminals get away with it because they don’t get it", and said communities have suffered because the Government is "soft on crime".
Critics have not held back in recent days.
David Blunkett, former Home Secretary under Tony Blair wrote in The Daily Mail: "First of all, it’s deeply offensive to get down in the gutter to fight politics in this way."
