children playing football. claims of a budget �*black hole' in the uk — which the chancellor rachel reeves blames on the conservatives. she's about to announce billions of pounds of spending cuts. and we hear from tom daley after winning his fifth olympic medal — silver in the men's synchronised 10m dive alongside noah williams in paris. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala. welcome to verified live. we start with that major breaking story in the uk — eight people have been stabbed and taken to hospital following a "major incident" in southport in the north west of england. merseyside police said it had received reports of a stabbing and were called to a property on hart street in the town at about 11:50 bst. armed police "detained a male and seized a knife" and the force said there was no

wider threat to the public. local people have described horrifying details at the scene, but we wait for further offical updates from the police and ambulance service. these are the live pictures coming into us here and as you would expect, a number of emergency vehicles, 13 ambulances were told are on the scene and a loss of police presence and that has been the scene for a number of hours. horrifying developments over the last few hours. with me is our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford. daniel, for people who are just tuning in to this, take us through what we know. this tuning in to this, take us through what we know.— tuning in to this, take us through what we know. this is an incident that happened —

what we know. this is an incident that happened just _ what we know. this is an incident that happened just over - what we know. this is an incident that happened just over three - what we know. this is an incident i that happened just over three hours ago, just before 11:50am. police were called to a report of the stabbings on hart street, a residential street to set back from the seafront in southport which is a seaside town on merseyside on the other side of the mersey river from liverpool. they deployed armed officers to the scene and a man was detained and a knife seized at the scene. but the north west ambulance service said it dealt with eight people with stab injuries at the scene having deployed those 13 ambulances and air ambulance and merit doctors which specialise in dealing with mass casualty incidents. most disturbingly, what they said was among the hospitals they said was among the hospitals they had taken casualties to is the world famous alder hey children's hospital in liverpool so we know a

number of people injured in this incident were in fact children. we've not heard anything about fatalities at this stage but we believe there are likely to be fatalities. �* believe there are likely to be fatalities.— believe there are likely to be fatalities. �* ,., , fatalities. and there were reports on the scene _ fatalities. and there were reports on the scene from _ fatalities. and there were reports on the scene from eyewitnesses. fatalities. and there were reports . on the scene from eyewitnesses who talked about the number of children and we know a total figure of eight but any other detail than that? that's right. the ambulance service at the time put out their statement which will have been up—to—date with eight people treated at the scene but we don't know is whether that number has gone up and there is no official fatality number has gone up and there is no officialfatality figure number has gone up and there is no official fatality figure at this stage but we are fearing the worst about fatalities and is well as the prime minister having issued a statement saying he is being kept informed about what's going on, we have also heard from the home

secretary who spoke to the house of commons just a few minutes ago. i want to say i know the whole house will he _ i want to say i know the whole house will he very— i want to say i know the whole house will be very concerned at the extremely serious incident that has taken _ extremely serious incident that has taken place in southport. all of our thoughts _ taken place in southport. all of our thoughts will be with the family and loved _ thoughts will be with the family and loved ones of those who are affected~ _ loved ones of those who are affected. i have been in contact with the — affected. i have been in contact with the merseyside police and crime commissioner and merseyside mayor to convey— commissioner and merseyside mayor to convey my— commissioner and merseyside mayor to convey my support to the police and our thanks— convey my support to the police and our thanks to the police and emergency services for their swift and courageous response. the response — and courageous response. the response to this awful incident is currently— response to this awful incident is currently unfolding and the house and public will be updated in due course _ we returned to live pictures. as we

see these pictures, you mentioned that the prime minister said, his only posted on x so far but remind us what he has said.— us what he has said. yes, sir keir starmer said _ us what he has said. yes, sir keir starmer said horrendous - us what he has said. yes, sir keir starmer said horrendous and - us what he has said. yes, sir keir i starmer said horrendous and deeply shocking news emerging from southport. he thanked the emergency services for the work they have done so far on the incident and said, i am being kept updated as the situation develops. this is an incident of such seriousness that the prime minister himself has been kept updated through the afternoon and the home secretary yvette cooper only a few weeks into the job dealing with the first really serious incident on her watch in terms of a mass casualty event in southport on merseyside. he talked of sir keir starmer _ southport on merseyside. he talked of sir keir starmer only _ southport on merseyside. he talked of sir keir starmer only recently - of sir keir starmer only recently installed as prime minister. we also saw yvette cooper, whose predecessor james cleverly also posted on x

saying the reports from southport are tragic and my thoughts are with the victims and families. i'd like to thank the brave officers on the ground for their swift response. you will get more in the politics as it comes in to us but in a sense, i want to rewind because how long did this incident actually last for? there are reports on the ground of local people in those surrounding streets posting messages on whatsapp groups and saying to people, get indoors, lock windows and doors. the simle indoors, lock windows and doors. tie: simple answer indoors, lock windows and doors. tte: simple answer is indoors, lock windows and doors. t'ts: simple answer is we indoors, lock windows and doors. tte: simple answer is we don't yet know. certainly there panicking response went on for some time after the incident was over. i think a lot of people they didn't become aware of the incident until the firearms officers turned up and all the blue lights started flashing on their street. but it clearly won't have been over in a flash because of the large number of people injured.

however, someone with a knife is enduring —— however quickly they injure someone, it takes time to injure someone, it takes time to injure a people. we don't know whether this happened very quickly or overlook a period of time and thatis or overlook a period of time and that is the detail we may not even get today from the police frankly because that's the sort of thing that will form a key part of their criminal investigation. and that will form a key part of their criminal investigation. and what we're trying _ criminal investigation. and what we're trying to _ criminal investigation. and what we're trying to learn _ criminal investigation. and what we're trying to learn as - criminal investigation. and what we're trying to learn as well, . criminal investigation. and what we're trying to learn as well, do j criminal investigation. and what. we're trying to learn as well, do we know the location where this happened? we know the street but was this in the street, in a premises or property? what are we talking about here? we property? what are we talking about here? ~ ., �* ~ ., property? what are we talking about here? . ., �* 4' ., , property? what are we talking about here? .,�* ~ ., ., property? what are we talking about here? ~ ., ., ._ property? what are we talking about here? ~ ., ., ., here? we don't know cast iron any of those details- — here? we don't know cast iron any of those details. it _ here? we don't know cast iron any of those details. it seems _ here? we don't know cast iron any of those details. it seems to _ here? we don't know cast iron any of those details. it seems to have - those details. it seems to have taken place in a premises and it seems that it was a place where a number of children were present and there are suggestions of there being some kind of taylor swift event

which may have been involved, either people arriving for it or... there are things we don't know but it seems to have been something that was involving children and this person has turned up with a knife. thus the source of detail we may get from the police as the afternoon develops. if seemed to be resolved by the arrival of the armed police and the man being taken away, and a knife being seized at the scene. of course afterwards, the aftermath was a huge number of ambulances that would have been deployed to deal with mass casualties there. anything being declared as a major incident as this has by all emergency services involved is something that produces a significant number of casualties that they expect them to be somewhat overwhelmed and put off other work to deal with the large number of casualties involved. we have seen alder hey children's

hospital already asking people not to come to a&e unless it's absolutely necessary because of the high workload they are having to deal with as a result of this massive stabbing.- deal with as a result of this massive stabbing. deal with as a result of this massive stabbinu. , ., massive stabbing. these are the live ictures massive stabbing. these are the live pictures from — massive stabbing. these are the live pictures from the _ massive stabbing. these are the live pictures from the scene. _ massive stabbing. these are the live pictures from the scene. just - pictures from the scene. just describe what we are actually looking at. we describe what we are actually looking at-— describe what we are actually lookin: at. . ., ., ., looking at. we are looking down at hart street there. _ looking at. we are looking down at hart street there. you _ looking at. we are looking down at hart street there. you can - looking at. we are looking down at hart street there. you can see - looking at. we are looking down at hart street there. you can see the| hart street there. you can see the police cordoned flattering on the first line and multiple layers of police tape behind that. somewhere in the distance of that shot is the actual scene where the stabbing, actually off to one side, is where the stabbings took place. that scene has changed a bit over the last hour or two that we have seen, these moving pictures. other beginning what you saw was a large number of ambulance vehicles and ambulance staff in their distinctive green uniforms in merseyside and that

seems to have changed now. what we mostly see now are police vehicles preserving the cordons to make sure members of the public don't cross the cordons but also starting to talk to eyewitnesses at the scene. what you have there are peace officers preserving the scene and allowing forensics officers to begin their work and start going through their work and start going through the process of gathering eyewitness evidence for people been deeply traumatised from what they have seen. they describe shocking scenes of children who had clearly been stabbed. we also saw a narrow and a half ago people on the streets, lots of children out in their shorts and t—shirts. that's changed a bit now as you can see, the street is largely empty now and a lot of people have either gone back into their houses or been moved off the streets. there are far fewer people,

fewer ambulance vehicles and fewer members of the public out there as they start to get control of what will be a major crime scene. they've got a man in custody which suggests the possibility of charges and criminal proceedings. they now need to go through the process of gathering absolute detailed evidence in terms of forensic evidence and eyewitness evidence to work out what happened. tlillie eyewitness evidence to work out what ha ened. ., eyewitness evidence to work out what hauened. , , ,, ., happened. one local business owner who was talking _ happened. one local business owner who was talking to _ happened. one local business owner who was talking to the _ happened. one local business owner who was talking to the press - who was talking to the press association described a number of young girls being stabbed but also talked about mothers coming here screaming trying to find out what was happening and described it as scenes from a horror movie. absolutely appalling descriptions we are hearing. that's one of the gentleman who called the emergency services. he had seen it so soon after or even during that he was one of those to call the emergency

services and we have eyewitnesses suggesting it seems to be an act or neara suggesting it seems to be an act or near a taylor swift event so something people would have been looking forward to at the start of the summer holidays come the first day of summer, glorious day and people going along to an event of their children and suddenly we've got a situation where there seems to have been a significant number of people stabbed of which more than one from eyewitness accounts would have been a child. we have not heard details of fatalities from the police but we do think there is likely to be at least one fatality as the afternoon develops. this will be incident as we learn more details about it and will become more tragic and shocking as the afternoon goes on. ~ ., �*

and shocking as the afternoon goes on. . ., �* 4' ., and shocking as the afternoon goes on. ~ ., ., and shocking as the afternoon goes on. we don't know some of the key details and — on. we don't know some of the key details and there _ on. we don't know some of the key details and there are _ on. we don't know some of the key details and there are bound - on. we don't know some of the key details and there are bound to - on. we don't know some of the key details and there are bound to be l on. we don't know some of the key details and there are bound to be a j details and there are bound to be a press conferences from the police and others in the coming minutes but every time you get a response from a significant figure, and i'm reading the latest comments, do let you read out the exact quotes, but they were seen to end by reflecting the shock about what has happened so you get a sense ofjust how serious this is. clearly it's an incredibly serious incident to have a situation where any young child... you often hear about teenagers being stabbed but i don't think this is teenagers we are talking about here. any situation where even one young child at stabbed is very shocking and this appears to be in multiple stabbings and more than one of them having been a young girl stabbed so that is

an extremely shocking incident anyway. i don't think the news will get better as the afternoon goes on and going back to gavin stevens who was at a briefing with media this afternoon that i was supposed to be at, he said he has received a call from the chief constable of merseyside about the stabbings and said he didn't have any details about his thoughts are with everyone involved because it sounds shocking. that word shocking is a word being repeated in multiple statements through the course of the afternoon. with its members of the government or opposition or members of the police, the national police chiefs' council, the group that brings all the constables together. and absolutely clear shock from the eyewitness accounts we have received from the scene. people are saying is like something from a horror movie

what they saw this morning. i think they give you an idea of how awful it has been. find they give you an idea of how awful it has been-— it has been. and all the while as ou are it has been. and all the while as you are speaking, _ it has been. and all the while as you are speaking, another - it has been. and all the while as l you are speaking, another account from another eyewitness is coming in from another eyewitness is coming in from the owner of the corner shop on hart street and i won't read them all out because we wait for official confirmation for all of the exact details of what's happened but certainly the owner of the corner shop saying he saw seven two ten kids outside the nursery injured and bleeding —— 7—10. he said they had been running in stabbed and he pointed to areas around his bag and chest and neck and said they are all aged about ten and goes on to talk about the police response. i'm careful in terms of what i read out there because we still await the official confirmation from the

authorities because sometimes in these frenetic moments in an incident like this in terms of what people see, it may turn out to be different in the end but you get a sense of all the eyewitnesses certainly the numbers we know multiple victims here and perhaps many of them were young children so as i say, we wait for more confirmation and details from the police but daniel, you talked about what followed and so did the owner of the shop about what followed in the immediate aftermath because we know at one stage there is an air ambulance and around 13 ambulance ascent. ., . ., , ambulance and around 13 ambulance ascent. ., , ., . , ascent. that certainly north west ambulance _ ascent. that certainly north west ambulance service _ ascent. that certainly north west ambulance service in _ ascent. that certainly north west ambulance service in their- ascent. that certainly north west ambulance service in their initial| ambulance service in their initial statement talking about the 13 ambulances, and airambulance statement talking about the 13 ambulances, and air ambulance and merit doctors sent to the scene. for merit doctors sent to the scene. for merit doctors sent to the scene. for merit doctors to be sent, it has to be an extremely serious mass casualty event. quite often, they

can assist with ever vice without going to scene themselves and in this case they seem to have been deployed to the scene so they would be making decisions about which of the casualties should go to which hospital and obviously air ambulance gives you that option to give someone that rightmove someone extremely fast. all the hey children's hospital isn't close and merseyside and's are in hospital would have been closer so they could get casualties there quicker. but anyone needing specialist facilities in a hurry would have had to go by air ambulance. in a hurry would have had to go by airambulance. like in a hurry would have had to go by air ambulance. like all major cities in the uk, there would have only been one air ambulance available so they had to make a decision about which patient uses the air ambulance if it was used to transfer patients and north west ambulance service in

their initial statement was talking about a patient being treated for stab injuries at the scene. assuming that information was reasonably accurate and these things sometimes do change, the numbers won't have gone down from that. they may have gone down from that. they may have gone up. we are hoping we may get more information from the police in the next hour or so. some suggestions from merseyside that they are putting together some information to let out another statement so may get a little bit more of an idea of the numbers of casualties from the police. the ambulance service can only tell us about what they know and we are still fearful that we may end up going beyond casualties and going into fatalities as well as the afternoon goes on. t’ilil into fatalities as well as the afternoon goes on. into fatalities as well as the afternoon aoes on. �* u. . ~ ., afternoon goes on. i'll come back to ou afternoon goes on. i'll come back to you because — afternoon goes on. i'll come back to you because there _ afternoon goes on. i'll come back to you because there are _ afternoon goes on. i'll come back to you because there are many - afternoon goes on. i'll come back to i you because there are many questions i want to ask you but i want to take

our views to the scene. next, start by bringing us up today in terms of what is all around you. this by bringing us up today in terms of what is all around you.— what is all around you. this is the outer cordon _ what is all around you. this is the outer cordon on _ what is all around you. this is the outer cordon on a _ what is all around you. this is the outer cordon on a road _ what is all around you. this is the outer cordon on a road called - what is all around you. this is the | outer cordon on a road called hart street which is in southportjust north of liverpool. as you can see down the line, this first cordon of police tape, there's another one just a few metres behind me but then right the way down the street at the far end you can see lights and another set of tape. that is where the small business park down there where the incident happened at around 11:15am. there was a course going on, yoga course for young children aged between year to end year six, children aged between year to end yearsix, primary children aged between year to end year six, primary school children. it was happening in a building down there and it was classed as a taylor swift event and they were playing

taylor swift songs to the children whilst doing yoga and dance. when this incident happened, one person was arrested and a number of people were taken to hospital and as we were taken to hospital and as we were hearing then, the hospitals they are taking the injured people to tell them about the number of injuries, the level of injuries and the fact that some injured were undoubtedly children. they took children to all the hey children's hospital which is one of the best in the country and is used to dealing with events and tragedies such as this. what is interesting is as said before, the fact that all the hay is further away from here, there is a hospitaljust a further away from here, there is a hospital just a few further away from here, there is a hospitaljust a few miles down the road which has a children's a&e unit and is used to treating children there, the fact they didn't take them there and move them across liverpool to order hay which is in

the south of liverpool, we are in the south of liverpool, we are in the north of the moment, shows you how serious this incident is and how the emergency services are dealing with it. i came past a school about the cause of a mile away which is being used by the police and emergency services as their headquarters. i have never seen so many vehicles. there are police vehicles and fire engines and ambulances there as well. there are at least 13 ambulances here and the police helicopter, an emergency helicopter was also used to ferry injured people to hospital as well. the situation is as we know that one person has been arrested and knife was recovered or a sharp bladed instrument. we don't particularly know it was mad at this point. the police are saying there is no threat to the wide area however that is of no comfort to anyone who lives around here. people here are

petrified about what has happened. we spoke to a nurse who said she came down after her daughter heard what she described as a bloodcurdling scream and text messages came through and she realised something was going on as she ran from work to come back to where she lives. this is a quiet residential area in the main part southport so she came back and saw the distress amongst local people here and it's a therapy nurse and has been helping people who were injured to come here to be looked after and for her to triage them and pass them onto emergency services if they needed more help. i spoke to another lady living round the corner who described this area as an area where families, 90% of the people living on the street are either families themselves or grandparents

of children who have young children. this is a very family centric area but the stab in here, everyone will have somebody at the club all know someone at the club recently. they will be petrified about what has happened and trying to come to terms with the events.— with the events. thank you. the olice with the events. thank you. the police statement _ with the events. thank you. the police statement we _ with the events. thank you. the police statement we are - with the events. thank you. the police statement we are read i with the events. thank you. the | police statement we are read our earlier ending with the thought that there is no wider threat to the public but our correspondent they are giving you a clear idea of what it feels like for all of those people in the surrounding streets, the panic and fear and alarm in those hours in the immediate aftermath. the recent pictures of the height of their operation, there is more reaction coming in all the time, politicaland is more reaction coming in all the time, political and otherwise. is more reaction coming in all the time, politicaland otherwise. our correspondents is here with me in the studio and tell us more about

the studio and tell us more about the one issue we haven't touched on so far that this yet again highlights, and that the seizure of knives. ., , ~ highlights, and that the seizure of knives. . , ,, . highlights, and that the seizure of knives. . , ~ . ., , knives. clearly the knife crime has been persisting — knives. clearly the knife crime has been persisting for _ knives. clearly the knife crime has been persisting for more - knives. clearly the knife crime has been persisting for more than - knives. clearly the knife crime has been persisting for more than 20 l been persisting for more than 20 years now, i remember david blunkett as home secretary being concerned about the levels of knife crime in those 2a years will so going up or down. in terms of mass casualty, those are quite rare. we obviously had the very serious incident in nottingham last year with three people being stabbed to death but we don't often get these mass casualty knife events in the uk, it doesn't happen very often. t knife events in the uk, it doesn't happen very often.— knife events in the uk, it doesn't happen very often. i know you will sta with happen very often. i know you will stay with me _ happen very often. i know you will stay with me for _ happen very often. i know you will stay with me for the _ happen very often. i know you will stay with me for the next - happen very often. i know you will stay with me for the next few - happen very often. i know you will. stay with me for the next few hours,

we are expecting more updates. these are live pictures from the scene and i will also point viewers to our website, our live page, continuous coverage there. you can keep up to date with this major story still developing here in the uk. we live in parliament where in a few minutes' time we will hear from rachel reeves were expecting her to announce billions of cuts in public spending after inheriting which he described as a black hole in public finances. she is likely to accuse the previous conservative government of covering up the gaps in departmental spending and running away as she puts it. we will hear after here on bbc news from expert analysts and people who will see an

impact from these cuts. i'm joined by our political correspondent helen kat and simonjack. give us a flavour of what we are expecting. irate flavour of what we are expecting. - expecting this big review of all government spending and what we will get from her is her saying many departments are much worse than we feared and we will get a little bit of how labour intends to try and fix that in the immediate task. she said to be got tens of millions of pounds of shortfall, so we will get a little bit about the steps they will take to make immediate cuts. what take to make immediate cuts. what will ou be take to make immediate cuts. what will you be looking _ take to make immediate cuts. what will you be looking out _ take to make immediate cuts. what will you be looking out for business?— will you be looking out for business? ,, ., , , ., , ., business? should be trying to send a nuanced message, _ business? should be trying to send a nuanced message, on _ business? should be trying to send a nuanced message, on the _ business? should be trying to send a nuanced message, on the one - business? should be trying to send a nuanced message, on the one hand l nuanced message, on the one hand saying _ nuanced message, on the one hand saying i_ nuanced message, on the one hand saying i want iron for school discipline, going down at the end of this parliament and we will go through— this parliament and we will go through all of these projects line by line _ through all of these projects line by line and find out whether they are value — by line and find out whether they are value for money, enough money set aside _ are value for money, enough money set aside and refine their housing,

we won't _ set aside and refine their housing, we won't shy away from difficult choices — we won't shy away from difficult choices of— we won't shy away from difficult choices of cussing it and i think that's— choices of cussing it and i think that's their to create confidence in markets _ that's their to create confidence in markets for example being anti liz truss. _ markets for example being anti liz truss. anti — markets for example being anti liz truss, anti what they consider irresponsible tax cuts when money was tight— irresponsible tax cuts when money was tight and hope the private sector— was tight and hope the private sector will take courage from that stability— sector will take courage from that stability and will step in to fill in the — stability and will step in to fill in the blanks where some of these public— in the blanks where some of these public sector projects and big ticket — public sector projects and big ticket items might be cut. and this could have an _ ticket items might be cut. and this could have an impact _ ticket items might be cut. and this could have an impact on _ ticket items might be cut. and this could have an impact on what - ticket items might be cut. and this could have an impact on what the i could have an impact on what the bank of england decided to do with interest rates.— bank of england decided to do with interest rates. what they want to do is say we've — interest rates. what they want to do is say we've got _ interest rates. what they want to do is say we've got in — interest rates. what they want to do is say we've got in a _ interest rates. what they want to do is say we've got in a fiscal _ is say we've got in a fiscal discipline and won't go fast and loose _ discipline and won't go fast and loose with british tax—payer money. that will— loose with british tax—payer money. that will keep international markets happy _ that will keep international markets happy and _ that will keep international markets happy and in the long—term mean borrowing — happy and in the long—term mean borrowing costs might actually stay lower— borrowing costs might actually stay lower which will encourage private sector _ lower which will encourage private sector to — lower which will encourage private sector to get involved. we will see it's hard _ sector to get involved. we will see it's hard to — sector to get involved. we will see it's hard to do that whilst saying we want — it's hard to do that whilst saying we want to be the builder is not the blockers _ we want to be the builder is not the blockers but people say they are kind of— blockers but people say they are kind of the scrappers because some of these _ kind of the scrappers because some of these schemes may be delayed or

pushed _ of these schemes may be delayed or pushed back all scrapped entirely. politically this will be a blame game and that conservatives are at fault here. .. , ., . �* ., fault here. exactly that. we've had from ministers _ fault here. exactly that. we've had from ministers saying _ fault here. exactly that. we've had from ministers saying things - fault here. exactly that. we've had from ministers saying things are i from ministers saying things are worse than they were anticipating. rachel reeves will go in hard and accuse the last government of having covered up shortfalls in spending because part of this is about setting a political narrative for the coming years, if the government has to... the conservatives are pushing back strongly on this saying is a corn and all details of the open laying the groundwork for the tax rises. ., ~ open laying the groundwork for the tax rises. ., ,, , ., open laying the groundwork for the tax rises. ., ~' , ., ~ open laying the groundwork for the tax rises. ., ,, , ., . ., tax rises. thank you. we will hear from both — tax rises. thank you. we will hear from both of— tax rises. thank you. we will hear from both of my _ tax rises. thank you. we will hear from both of my colleagues - tax rises. thank you. we will hear from both of my colleagues later. j tax rises. thank you. we will hear - from both of my colleagues later. we were also joined by stephen bush, associate editor and columnist for the financial times. good to have

you here. what are you looking out for from the statement? hagar you here. what are you looking out for from the statement?— for from the statement? how she balances the _ for from the statement? how she balances the grim _ for from the statement? how she balances the grim picture - for from the statement? how she balances the grim picture about l for from the statement? how she l balances the grim picture about the black hole with the governments ignore on sector pay, how she's going in pay restraint and also a payday for public sector workers. that thread is going to be vital in how she sends a message of the black hole and keeps her own party and sighed and says this isn't errors damage and return to posterity years. damage and return to posterity ears. ~ ., damage and return to posterity ears. ~ . , . years. we are expecting the statement _ years. we are expecting the statement any _ years. we are expecting the statement any time - years. we are expecting the statement any time soon. i years. we are expecting the - statement any time soon. stephen, how much of this is politics as opposed to economics because they are in their honeymoon period, they have a huge majority after the recent election, she needs to hit the ground running and make use of that? , ., , , , that? yes, some of this is pure olitical that? yes, some of this is pure political theatre, _ that? yes, some of this is pure political theatre, a _ that? yes, some of this is pure political theatre, a newly - that? yes, some of this is pure i political theatre, a newly elected government have essentially always raised taxes in their first budget for sub—george osborne in 2010,

2015, gordon brown in 1997 and 2001, some of this is the usual political theatre of, we have the voters out of the way and now we need to do the stuff we think will pay off in four years' time but some of it is a very real condition of our public services will stop it is a policy issue rather than an economics issue. to issue rather than an economics issue. ., . ., ., issue. to what extent though would the incoming _ issue. to what extent though would the incoming government _ issue. to what extent though would the incoming government have - issue. to what extent though would the incoming government have the | the incoming government have the excuse of, we hadn't seen the books, we only knew broadly what the spending position was. at that point, especially as i mentioned with this big majority, couldn't they say, look, we have to rethink this, she could do something different from what is in the manifesto?— different from what is in the manifesto? ,, ., ., manifesto? she could although althou:h manifesto? she could although although it _ manifesto? she could although although it is _ manifesto? she could although although it is true _ manifesto? she could although although it is true to _ manifesto? she could although although it is true to say - manifesto? she could although although it is true to say that l manifesto? she could although l although it is true to say that the new government doesn't have all the figures when it is in opposition and most of these in year pressures will genuinely... overa most of these in year pressures will genuinely... over a longer time, because we have the obr, independent think tanks, it is quite hard, unless there is something truly remarkable in this exercise that

they have unearthed, it would be