Reform UK’s Chief Whip Lee Anderson has hit out at Labour for “blaming Nigel Farage and Brexit” for Britain’s economic woes, accusing Sir Keir Starmer's Government of creating “chaos” through its own policies.
Speaking on GB News, the Ashfield MP said: “It’s just ridiculous, isn’t it? They’re blaming Nigel, they’re blaming Brexit. I tell you, I blame Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves."
He added that small businesses across the country were being “crippled” by recent tax and wage rises, warning they were struggling to survive.
The comments come as Britain is forecast to have the highest average inflation in the G7 in both 2025 and 2026, at 3.4 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.
Lee Anderson said small businesses across the country were being 'crippled' by recent tax and wage rises
|GB NEWS
Recent reports have revealed that the Prime Minister and his Chancellor Rachel Reeves are preparing to blame Mr Farage for tax rises at the next Budget.
The Chancellor is expected to tax hard-working Britons to plug a £41.2billion deficit and restore a near £10billion fiscal buffer.
Labour's plan to pin the blame on Mr Farage over his support for Brexit caused Mr Anderson to furiously hit back on GB News today.
He told the People's Channel: "I visit small businesses and SMEs in my constituency every single week.
"They’re being crippled by the National Insurance increase for employers, and by the rise in the National Living Wage.
“They’re not recruiting, they’re not reinvesting, they’re having to find thousands and thousands of pounds each year just to stay afloat.
Labour are expected to blame Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for the 'weak' economy
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"That’s what’s driving the weak economy we’ve got at the moment. The fault lies purely at the door of No10 and No11.”
Mr Anderson also defended Reform's pledge to raise the income tax threshold from £12,500 to £20,000, arguing it would “make work pay” and “get people off benefits”.
“That’s our policy, and it will persuade people to come off benefits and seek full-time employment,” he said.
“We want to reward the workers, not the shirkers.”
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Sir Keir has stepped up his attacks on Brexit in recent weeks as part of a bid to stem the growing appeal of Reform UK.
In a recent interview with GB News, the Prime Minister suggested Nigel Farage was to blame for the surge in small boat crossings.
Sir Keir said: “I would gently point out to Nigel Farage and others that before we left the EU, we had a returns agreement with every country in the EU and he told the country it would make no difference if we left. He was wrong about that. These are ‘Farage boats’ coming across the Channel.”More From GB News