Labour’s first Chancellor was Philip Snowden and he presented Labour’s first ever Budget in 1924.
Snowden was a member of the Independent Labour Party and a socialist but economically he was a Gladstonian Liberal. He believed that significant change would only come with a socialist society. Hence in his Budget he stuck to Treasury rules which did not involve intervening to address unemployment. However he was keen to stress the Government’s working class credentials. He focused on what was known as the ‘free breakfast’ That is breakfast items free of tariffs. These included, tea, sugar, cocoa, chicory and prunes.
In his 2026 Budget John Healey echoed Snowden. Clearly he does not think change will come in a socialist society. However he did follow the Snowden line of not doing anything too dramatic. Snowden would not have taxed Bank profits though. Healey did however remove tariffs on a range of goods available in supermarkets.
Whether the list is specifically focused on working class voters I’m not entirely sure. Gherkins has attracted Badenoch’s ridicule. As a former McDonalds employee she has clearly forgotten that they are part of a burger. Jam and marmalade makes more sense. These are big sellers (on toast) in Wetherspoons breakfasts. £2.65 two toast, jam/marmalade, tea/coffee
- Garlic
- Gherkins
- Citrus jams, marmalades and pastes
- Throat pastilles and cough drops
- Boiled sweets
- Toffees, caramels and similar sweets
- Plant-based beverages
- Chocolate-coated waffles/wafers
- Kerosene
- Fertilisers
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