Group 1 - The core point of the article is that UK Prime Minister Starmer and Chancellor Reeves have abandoned plans to raise income tax rates, which were previously against their campaign pledges, ahead of the budget announcement on November 26 [1] - The decision to overturn the proposals for increasing the basic and higher tax rates was made due to concerns about voter backlash and potential conflicts with dissatisfied Labour Party members [1] - Reeves is currently exploring alternative methods to fill an expected £30 billion fiscal gap, one option being to lower the income tax thresholds while keeping the basic and higher rates unchanged [1] Group 2 - Reeves plans to heavily rely on a "buffet-style" tax strategy, which involves increasing a range of targeted smaller taxes, including a new gambling tax and higher taxes on luxury properties [1]