Close Britons paying higher tax: PM defends changes despite rising living costsSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy noticeRachel Reeves has been accused of misleading the country over the state of public finances in the run-up to the Budget. Paul Johnson, a former head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank, said “it probably was misleading”. “It was designed to confirm a narrative that there was a fiscal black hole that needed to be filled with significant tax rises,” he told The Times. At the Budget on Wednesday, Ms Reeves hiked taxes by £26 billion, including by freezing thresholds on income tax.
