Richard Holden blasts Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage for ‘living in each other’s heads’ as Labour attacks Reform

"I think what you're seeing is Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer fighting head to head over benefits, both of them want to see huge increases," Holden said. "It's quite clear there's a battle in that space with Reform pursuing those voters and I think they're living in each other's heads."

Holden argued that only the Conservative Party wants to control welfare spending and reward people for working.

"Kemi Badenoch made a really important intervention today. It's only the Tories who want to get welfare spending under control," he said.

"We want to see people rewarded for working and I think there's a big question mark over the latest stance that Nigel Farage has taken and the stance that Keir Starmer appears to be taking as they battle it out over who will spend the most money."

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Kwasi Kwarteng brutally tears apart Keir Starmer’s attack on Nigel Farage: ‘Disaster!’
• WATCH IN FULL: Nigel Farage hits back at Keir Starmer in Bitcoin speech
• Rachel Reeves told to adopt Reform tax policy as families paying £4k extra to 'unfair' HMRC

Holden warned that increased spending would ultimately require higher taxes, saying: "That's obviously going to come down in the end to who can raise the most taxes."

Holden's comments come after Starmer launched a direct attack on Farage yesterday, comparing Reform's economic plans to Liz Truss's disastrous policies.

Speaking at a glass factory in northwest England, the Prime Minister branded Farage's proposals "Liz Truss 2.0" and warned they would wreck the economy through reckless spending.

"We know for a fact what happens when politicians say they are going to spend billions and billions of pounds that's unfunded," Starmer said.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that Reform's pledge to raise the income tax personal allowance could cost between £50 billion and £80 billion annually.

When asked about potential Conservative buyer's remorse over Kemi Badenoch's leadership, Holden defended the party's choice. "The party made its choice around six months ago," he said.

"I think the truth is, whoever was leading us at the moment will be in a difficult circumstance. After 14 years, people really do need to see the party reflect on what happened. Get that long term policy platform put together."

Holden praised the work of shadow cabinet members including Robert Jenrick, Mel Stride, and Chris Philp for "taking the fight to the Labour Party and leading from the front".

He acknowledged the Conservatives are "rebuilding from a historic election defeat" but noted that with the next election likely around four years away, "a lot can happen in that time".