Why Labour have accused Rishi Sunak of 'deliberate lie' and misinformation amid election claims

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Anas Sarwar has accused Rishi Sunak of a “blatant lie” over Labour’s tax plans if the party forms the next UK government.

In Tuesday’s election TV debate, the Prime Minister claimed that “independent Treasury officials” have costed Labour’s policies “and they amount to a £2,000 tax rise for everyone”.

Today, it emerged that a senior Treasury official had reminded ministers not to say civil servants were behind their claim about Labour’s policies.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Picture by Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Mr Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, has hit out at “disinformation” by the Tories over tax plans and the SNP over claims Labour will seek to privatise the NHS.

Speaking to journalists in Glasgow, the Scottish Labour leader also warned that Scots pay too much tax - as he suggested the tax burden should ease as the economy grows.

He insisted that Labour has “fully-costed all our plans”.

Mr Sarwar said “There was lots of discussion and debate about tax in the leaders’ debate last night where you saw ludicrous claims made by Rishi Sunak around tax changes - deliberate misinformation, a deliberate lie from a desperate individual trying to cling onto power.”

Addressing Labour’s plans to close of loophole on the so-called nom-dom status, Mr Sarwar claimed the move “will generate for Scotland around £134m a year”, claiming it will pay for around 160,000 additional NHS appointments.

Mr Sarwar accused the Conservatives and the SNP of “desperate attempts” to use misinformation around Labour’s plans to move attention away from their records in government.

He accused the SNP of “doing an outright lie and blatant misinformation in claiming that the NHS is going to be privatised”, adding that “Scots can see right through it”.

Mr Sarwar added: “You’ve got the Tories on the other side making a blatant lie around tax rises on working people with a made-up figure.

“I think what it shows is two political parties, one that’s been in power for 17 years in the SNP and one that’s been in power for 14 years in the case of the Conservatives - neither one of them standing in this election on their record and what they’ve done for Scotland, both campaigning on misinformation and lies.”

Mr Sarwar told The Scotsman: “I believe in progressive taxation.”

Pressed over whether he would like to see the devolved income tax be set at the same level across the UK, he added: “Right now, income tax is being used as a substitute for economic growth.

“We have a Scottish Government that doesn’t have a growth plan, has broken its relationship with business and has no clear strategic direction for what it wants to do with those low-hanging fruit for growth in Scotland.

“On principle, I think our taxes are too high on working people. I want us to grow the economy, us ehte fruits of that growth to invest in our public services that need massive overhaul - in particular our health and social care system. But I’d also like us to use the fruits of that growth to reduce taxes on working people here in Scotland.”