As part of the Autumn Statement yesterday Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £55 billion in tax rises and a squeeze in public spending that he said would tackle spiralling inflation.
Hunt has warned families face "real challenges”, as government forecasters predict the biggest drop in living standards since records began.
The Office for Budget Responsibility, the independent economic forecaster, says household income will fall by 7% over the next 18 months.
The chancellor said the announcements in his Autumn Statement would help tame inflation which he said had caused the drop in living standards. But Labour said fairer choices about tax could have been made.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves described the emergency budget measures as "an invoice for the economic carnage" created by the policies of former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Newsnight’s Victoria Derbyshire spoke to Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen on the day of the statement, and started by asking him why the government is raising taxes now that the UK is in a recession.
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