“Labour is the party of business,” Keir Starmer proclaimed in front of a room of city fat cats this afternoon.

Well, they’re certainly not a party serious about tackling poverty.

Labour shadow chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves (below) announced just hours earlier that the party won't hike the rate of corporation tax during its first term, just one day after saying Labour also wouldn't reinstate a cap on bonuses for bankers. 

Keir Starmer stood in front of senior executives and investors at his party’s business conference in central London (below) and stressed the “partnership” between Labour and business, saying “your fingerprints (are) on every one of our five missions”.

The National:

Meanwhile, scrapping the two-child benefit cap which has driven over 250,000 children into poverty? Nope. 

Tax the rich more to redistribute to the poor? Nope, said Keir Starmer just two weeks ago. 

“I don’t think redistribution is the sort of one-word answer for millions of people across the country,” he said – as if we don’t live in a country in which the prevailing policies of the past few decades have led to unbelievable economic inequality and widespread poverty. 

"An economy that works for the whole country is what the British people want," Starmer told his party's annual conference in Liverpool just last year. He then added that the Tory government was instead focusing on "trickle-down nonsense, that sees wealth trickle up and jobs trickle out."

READ MORE: Keir Starmer 'won't tax super rich more to redistribute to poor' if PM

But how different is a Labour party under Keir Starmer?

As chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced a rise in corporation tax from 19% to the current 25% rate for companies with profits over £250,000 – a move that came into force in April last year.

That is the corporation tax rate Labour is keeping. 

What about bankers’ bonuses? 

The cap was introduced in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to limit annual payouts to twice a banker’s salary.

But it was scrapped last year after a decision was made in Liz Truss’s brief spell in No 10 by her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

Reinstating it? “We didn’t think it was the right priority,” Reeves said.

The National:

When Jonathan Reynolds (above) – Labour’s shadow business secretary – was questioned about this on Sky News, all he could do was squirm.

Presenter Kay Burley asked: “Just to clarify, Labour is happy to cap child benefits but not bankers bonuses?”

Reynolds mumbled and bumbled, before responding: “Well, I would not make that comparison.”

I’m sure you wouldn’t.

Keir Hardie – the Scottish founder of the Labour Party – would be rolling in his grave.