harry from itv. you wednesday. harry from itv. you talk about _ wednesday. harry from itv. you talk about being _ wednesday. harry from itv. you talk about being honest - wednesday. harry from itv. you talk about being honest and - talk about being honest and being — talk about being honest and being realistic. shouldn't you being realistic. shouldn't you be honest that for many working people _ be honest that for many working people the amount they will pay in tax _ people the amount they will pay in tax will— people the amount they will pay in tax will be going up after your— in tax will be going up after your budget. if you can't be honest_ your budget. if you can't be honest about that, shouldn't the public have every right to feel let — the public have every right to feel let down and to lose faith in your— feel let down and to lose faith in your government after this budget? _ in your government after this budaet? , . ., ., budget? let me be clear. so far as working _ budget? let me be clear. so far as working people _ budget? let me be clear. so far as working people are _ as working people are concerned, i'm concerned with what is in their payslip and making sure that there is no more tax on their payslip. that matters to people because they made that promise to them. honesty is really important because we are facing really difficult decisions. i'm not prepared to continue with the fiction that we have had previously over the last iii years, where there are problems we will identify and fix them. because we are fixing then we will have the foundation to

rebuild our country. that is what i mean by levelling the people, not pretending there are easy answers. for those who want to criticise our course, the path that we have chosen, let them tell us what they would do, what different path they would take to fix our country. which public services would a cat? which other taxes with a raise? because we can't have this fiction that you can lower taxes, spend more on public services without making any changes. that is what got us into the problem in the first place. us into the problem in the first place-— us into the problem in the first lace. ., , first place. sam from sky. this is auoin first place. sam from sky. this is going to _ first place. sam from sky. this is going to be _ first place. sam from sky. this is going to be a _ first place. sam from sky. this is going to be a big _ is going to be a big tax—raising budget. are you certain— tax—raising budget. are you certain that your frontloading the pain— certain that your frontloading the pain and, if so, can you rule— the pain and, if so, can you rule out— the pain and, if so, can you rule out more big tax hikes in future — rule out more big tax hikes in future budgets? there is a fear that we — future budgets? there is a fear that we will go through all of

this again in a 's time when you— this again in a 's time when you realise that you haven't -ot you realise that you haven't got a — you realise that you haven't got a plan for how to pay for things— got a plan for how to pay for things like social care? let me take that head-on. _ things like social care? let me take that head-on. i _ take that head—on. i fundamentally believe that we need to run towards the tough decisions. ifundamentally decisions. i fundamentally believe we decisions. ifundamentally believe we have to fix the foundations so that we can build a better future. foundations so that we can build a betterfuture. that foundations so that we can build a better future. that is tough. that is difficult. that is why we are taking the decision on wednesday to do it because it is the right thing to do and it is the right thing for our country. i think that it will also allow investment to cumin, secure that we a government that is prepared to do the tough thing to stabilise the economy. two weeks ago we got £63 billion of investment in an international summit. that is an unprecedented amount of money. many of those who invested say they have confidence in the way we are

approaching the economy. that doesn't happen by accident. if you want the proofpoint that the tough decisions triggered the tough decisions triggered the investment we need, i would point to that investment summit and i'm confident other money will follow in. that is measured in good well—paid jobs across the country, which is what we were elected to deliver for working people. chris at gb news? {lin for working people. chris at gb news? ., , for working people. chris at gb news? ._ ., , news? on friday in county durham — news? on friday in county durham a _ news? on friday in county durham a pensioner- news? on friday in county durham a pensioner and i news? on friday in county- durham a pensioner and former miner— durham a pensioner and former miner called billy poynter told gb news how he moves his heater every _ gb news how he moves his heater every day — gb news how he moves his heater every day from room to room to keep _ every day from room to room to keep warm _ every day from room to room to keep warm. he blamed the withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance for this, saying i wish — allowance for this, saying i wish i _ allowance for this, saying i wish i hadn't voted labour. there — wish i hadn't voted labour. there are _ wish i hadn't voted labour. there are millions like him out there — there are millions like him out there worried about your budget. what would you say to billy poynter and was he rightm _ billy poynter and was he right... was he wrong to vote for you? _ right... was he wrong to vote for ou? ~ ., ., right. .. was he wrong to vote for you?— right... was he wrong to vote for ou? ., ., , for you? what i would say is, i do understand _ for you? what i would say is, i do understand the _ for you? what i would say is, i do understand the concerns i for you? what i would say is, i. do understand the concerns that people have. i genuinely do.

that is why we are protecting the most vulnerable with pension credit, making sure that everybody he is entitled to pension credit takes up the pension credit which guarantees winter payments. we are fixing the foundations and stabilising the foundations and stabilising the economy. what that allows us to do is commit absolutely to the triple lock and that means that for millions of pensioners next year, the pensions go up to up to £475 on top of the £900 this year, that is why i can say that every pensioner will be better off under a labour government that takes the difficult decisions to stabilise the economy. i've got dave from the mirror. it has been reported over the weekend that the two—point gap on ttus— weekend that the two—point gap on bus fares across england will be _ on bus fares across england will be scrapped. what is your assessment of the impact this

will have — assessment of the impact this will have on working people who would _ will have on working people who would expect the labour party to be — would expect the labour party to be on— would expect the labour party to be on their side. do you think— to be on their side. do you think mike amesbury should resign _ think mike amesbury should resin. ., , ., resign. let me deal with both of these issues. _ resign. let me deal with both of these issues. on _ resign. let me deal with both of these issues. on the - of these issues. on the two—point bus fare, the first thing to say is the tories only thundered back to the end of 2024. therefore, that is the end of the funding in relation to the two—point captive air. i do know how much this matters, particularly in rural communities where there is heavy reliance on buses. that is why i am able to say to you this morning that in the budget we will announce at £3 cap on bus fares to the end of 2025 because i know how important it is. that will be in the budget on wednesday. on mike amesbury, look, i have seen the video footage, it is shocking. we moved very swiftly to suspend

him as a member and as a member of parliament. there is not a police investigation and in the circumstances you will appreciate there is not much more i can say. thank you very much. we are going to revert to one question each, otherwise this is a slippery slope. ciaran from the guardian. the labour mp — ciaran from the guardian. the labour mpjas _ ciaran from the guardian. the labour mpjas atwell was labour mp jas atwell was revealed today to be the owner of a failing children's care home _ of a failing children's care home. can i ask what reassurances you have sought from — reassurances you have sought from him _ reassurances you have sought from him about that and whether there _ from him about that and whether there was— from him about that and whether there was any conflict of interest when that care home won— interest when that care home won contracts from the council of which — won contracts from the council of which he was the leader? i am of which he was the leader? am not of which he was the leader? i am not across the full details of this, although i have seen the story. what i would say is i would expect anyone in a situation like that to take their responsibilities seriously.— their responsibilities seriousl. , ., seriously. lucy from the financial _ seriously. lucy from the financial times. -

seriously. lucy from the financial times. your i financial times. your chancellor has confirmed that she is— chancellor has confirmed that she is changing the debt rose to borrow_ she is changing the debt rose to borrow more to invest in capital— to borrow more to invest in capital expenditure. do you accept _ capital expenditure. do you accept this is a move that pushes _ accept this is a move that pushes up interest rates and what — pushes up interest rates and what is — pushes up interest rates and what is your message to people with mortgages or debt that will become more expensive as a result? _ will become more expensive as a result? i— will become more expensive as a result? ., , , result? i will not pre-empt exactly what _ result? i will not pre-empt exactly what the _ result? i will not pre-empt| exactly what the chancellor will say on wednesday, but i have been really clear that we have been really clear that we have to move to a situation where we invest in the future of this country, where we invest to ensure that we get the betterjobs that we need, we have the infrastructure that we have the infrastructure that we need, and so part of what we will sail on wednesday is first how we are going to fix the foundations and deal with the problems we inherited, but then secondly wholly rebuild the country and an investment is an important part of that story. precisely how that take place will be set out in detail on

wednesday. i do not accept the proposition that will have an impact —— have an impact on interest rates. i impact -- have an impact on interest rates.— impact -- have an impact on interest rates. i would like to pressure _ interest rates. i would like to pressure on _ interest rates. i would like to pressure on a _ interest rates. i would like to pressure on a previous - pressure on a previous question. we have made clear today— question. we have made clear today that to take on the inheritance they will need to be tax — inheritance they will need to be tax rises. will this be the last— be tax rises. will this be the last labour budget in which you need _ last labour budget in which you need to— last labour budget in which you need to raise taxes and if you can't — need to raise taxes and if you can't answer that how can people _ can't answer that how can people have optimism that there are better times ahead? we people have optimism that there are better times ahead?- are better times ahead? we are fixin: the are better times ahead? we are fixing the foundations _ are better times ahead? we are fixing the foundations with - fixing the foundations with this budget, so that is the purpose of this budget to take the difficult decisions now. nobody wants tax rises, least of all me, so we will do the hard work on this budget to allow us to rebuild the country. i can give you a cast—iron guarantee that never again in any budget will there be any adjustment tax because we don't know what is round the corner. in the last five or six years we have lived through

covid, ukraine, etc. it is our intention to take the tough decisions here and now upfront in the hope that we can then build, rebuild the country on that stable foundation, so you can take from that that the tough stuff is coming in this budget. i am going to resist the temptation to say that at no point ever will there ever be an adjustment to anything in the future. the purpose of this is to take the tough decisions now, create the conditions for investment and growth, which i think we are doing based on the evidence of the money already coming in. that is the approach, take the tough decisions in this budget, so you can expect to see pretty much all of that in this budget. much all of that in this budget-— much all of that in this budget. jack from the sun. everyday — budget. jack from the sun. everyday millions - budget. jack from the sun. everyday millions of- budget. jack from the sun. | everyday millions of people across _ everyday millions of people across the country will get in their— across the country will get in their cars _ across the country will get in their cars and to work. so would _ their cars and to work. so would any hike to fuel duty on would any hike to fu