Kwasi Kwarteng defends sudden U-turn on scrapping 45p rate tax

The government scrapped the abolition of the 45p tax rate for high earners after "listening to people," Kwasi Kwarteng has said.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, 3 October, the chancellor defended the sudden U-turn, saying that he felt the rate was "drowning out" an otherwise "strong package" from the mini-budget.

"We listened to people, I get it... We felt that the 45p issue was drowning out a strong package of intervention," Mr Kwarteng said.

Prime minister Liz Truss told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg yesterday that she "stood by" the package.

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