Also speaking to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch said the Conservatives would be thinking about the economy “in a different way”, which would be “completely the opposite” of what Labour was doing.

She criticised the rise in employers’ NI contributions as being “not coherent” as most of the increase would be passed on through lower wages and higher prices, but she did not say whether or not she would reverse it.

This goes to the core of the growing political divide in UK politics, following the first Labour budget in 15 years and Badenoch’s victory.

The new Conservative leader believes lower taxes will help boost economic growth, with the tax burden too high even under her own government.

Labour has been willing to hike taxes because it believes without significant investment in the NHS, too many people of working age who have been ill will not be able to return to the labour market.

It also thinks without a further boost to education, people will lack the skills needed in a modern economy.

But the scale of the tax rises were never revealed before the election and the chancellor insists her hand has been forced because the public finances were worse than she anticipated when in opposition.

Some in Labour’s ranks feel she should “lean in” more to the arguments for greater borrowing and investment.

But Reeves insisted her budget was not “ideological” despite increasing taxes on some inherited land, second homes and flights on private jets, as well as imposing VAT on private school fees – something Badenoch has committed to reversing, branding it a “tax on aspiration that won’t raise any money”.

Reeves also denied that raising employer NI had been considered by Labour before they came to power.

“No, this was not something that was on the agenda before the election,” she said.

Asked if she had been wrong to say during the election that there would not be any extra taxes if Labour won, she replied: “What I was wrong about was the mess that the previous government had left for us,” citing the £22bn black hole that Labour say the Tory party left them with.