LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday defended his Treasury chief against opposition claims that she misled the public and the markets about the state of the public finances before last week’s budget, a tax-raising economic plan that was preceded by contradictory leaks to the media and the accidental early publication of the entire statement.

Starmer said “there was no misleading” in the run-up to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ budget, which the government hopes will raise money to reduce government borrowing, invest in infrastructure and public services, ease the cost of living and spur elusive economic growth.

Three weeks before the budget, Reeves made a speech to prepare the public and markets for a rise in income tax rates, which would have broken a

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