The Chancellor has said that the former Tory Chancellor Jeremy Hunt “lied” about the true state of public finances and it was deliberately covered up.
Rachel Reeves said that Rishi Sunak’s government have left a £22 billion “black hole” and the Shadow Chancellor “lied during the election campaign” to voters.
Reeves told Sky News, “Jeremy Hunt covered up from the House of Commons and from the country the true state of the public finances. He did that knowingly and deliberately.
“He lied. And they lied during the election campaign about the state of the public finances.”
She added that the Tories had promised tax cuts during the general election campaign “all the while knowing there was already a £22bn black hole in the public finances.
“It is beyond reckless and irresponsible,” she said.
“It is unforgiveable and they should never be allowed to have their hands on power and our public finances again.”
Speaking to Sky News Hunt said is “of course” angry at being called a liar by the Chancellor, “I’m disappointed more than anything else.
He added, “I thought more highly of Rachel Reeves, I actually praised her on election night as being a committed civil servant.
“I think she can do better than that.
I think it’s very disappointing that the new government is choosing to do politics this away, I think it actually discredits politics when people call each other liars.
The former Tory Chancellor has accused the Labour Chancellor of a “shameless attempt” of preparing the “ground for tax rises.”
Hunt told MPs on Monday afternoon, “Today [Reeves] will fool absolutely no one with a shameless attempt to lay the grounds for tax rises.”
Earlier the Chancellor warned there is a £22 billion black hole in the public’s finances which they have “inherited” from the Tories.
However, Hunt hit back and said that Reeves did in fact have privileged access from January to the Treasury civil servants, he noted that she would have seen then the £20 billion “black hole” which the Shadow Chancellor claims has “magically emerged.”
