(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer does not think all owners of stocks and shares fall outside his definition of "working people", Downing Street has signalled.
The prime minister had suggested asset owners would not fall within his conception of what a working person is.
The government has been asked repeatedly to define this term, in a bid establish which taxes may rise in the budget.
Labour's manifesto said the party would not increase taxes on working people, including VAT, national insurance, and income tax.
During a broadcast interview at a Commonwealth summit in Samoa, Starmer told Sky News that he does not consider people who have an income from assets such as shares of property to be working people.
"They wouldn't come within my definition," he said.
The hint at who falls outside the scope of Starmer's definition could point to where tax rises might come from in the budget.
Among the levies which are reportedly under consideration for a hike are capital gains tax, inheritance tax, and fuel duty.
In a partial climbdown on Starmer's position, Downing Street later clarified that people who hold a small amount of savings in stocks and shares still count as working people.
The prime minister's official spokesman said Starmer meant someone who primarily gets their income from assets in his interview.
source: PA
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