In an interview with Sky News in Samoa, Keir Starmer was pushed on his manifesto pledge to protect ‘working people’ from tax rises and how he defined them. ‘For working people we made an absolute commitment that their income tax wouldn’t go up, their NI wouldn’t go up, their VAT wouldn’t go up. ‘I said that in the campaign, we’re going to keep to those promises. We are going to have to make difficult decisions in this budget, I’m not going to preempt the budget you know that. ‘But what we are going to do, it’s really important that we fix the foundations, that we clear up this mess once and for all and on that we build a better Britain. ‘That will be measured in people feeling better off, in the NHS not just back on its feet but fit for the future and public services working in the way that people can expect to see from their public services.’I would define a working person who goes out and earns their living, usually in a monthly cheque, but that’s obviously very broad so let me be clear. ‘What I mean, who I have in my mind’s eye when I’m making the decisions as Prime Minister are the sorts of working people who go out, work hard and maybe save a bit of money but don’t have the wherewithal to write a cheque to get out of difficulties if they or their family get into difficulties. ‘People who have got that anxiety if you like in the bottom of their stomach that says, we’re doing it all right, but if something were to happen to me or my family I don’t have the wherewithal to get out of it.’When I tell you who’s in my mind’s eye, I think everyone watching will know whether they are in that category because you carry in that situation a sort of knot in the bottom of the stomach which if push comes to shove and something happens to me and my family I can’t just get a cheque book out, even if I have savings.’They are the sort of people I came into politics for to try and make sure tehy had secure jobs, and didn’t have the anxiety of public services not working, to make them feel like they have better opportuniteis… that’s who I had in my mind’s eye.”Pressed on whether that covered people who work but also get money from assets such as property and shares, Sir Keir said: ‘They wouldn’t meet my definition, but you can probably give me any number of examples, you’re adding a second questions to the first which is you’re asking me for a definition of a working person and then making assumptions about what kind of taxes could go up. ‘You could go through that exercise or you could ensure working people hear from me… people watching this will know whether they are in that group or not, people who work hard, who are anxious to make ends meet, and who know that if something happens to them or their family, they can’t just write a cheque book. ‘I am really concerned about them, politics for me is who do you have in your mind’s eye when you make those decisions, I’m not ideological.’I made clear promises in the election campaign and I intend to keep those promises, so let me be very clear about that.’