Labour attempts to draw economic competence battle lines with campaign stunt

Labour will attempt to fight the Tories on economic competence in its latest campaign stunt, as it unveils a “cost of chaos” website totting up Government spending under Rishi Sunak.

The website, launched on Tuesday, aims to count the costs of decisions made by Mr Sunak, including scrapping the northern leg of the HS2 rail project.

A month before the May 2 local elections, Labour suggests the cumulative costs of “VIP helicopter rides”, by-elections, fixed rate mortgages coming to an end and other economic decisions mean the Conservatives have “wasted” £8.2 billion.

Meanwhile, it suggests 314 days could be lost due to Government reshuffles, Parliament finishing its sitting days early, and the Prime Minister waiting until January to call a general election at the last possible moment.

Pat McFadden MP, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said: “Rishi Sunak has presided over a Conservative Party in chaos and has saddled the taxpayer with the bill.

“These shocking costs are the result of a party out of ideas, more interested in looking inwards than facing, and delivering for, the country.”

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden criticised the campaign, and said Labour should focus on plans for how it would govern instead.

He said: “This is a desperate attempt to distract from the scandal engulfing Angela Rayner and Sir Keir Starmer’s top team.

“Instead of wasting time with dodgy websites, the Labour Party should set out their plans. But the truth is they can’t because they have no plan for this country, and that means they would take us right back to square one with higher taxes, more borrowing and higher unemployment.

“Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives have a plan. Because the economy has turned a corner, we have been able to cut taxes for 29 million working people by an average £900 a year. If we stick to that plan, we will deliver a brighter future for the whole country.”