Former Conservative Chancellor Lord Lamont has stated that Labour is waging a "class war" by claiming to support "working people" but in reality it is referring to the "working classes."The peer, who was Norman Lamont's Chancellor from 1990 to 1993, stated on Chopper's Political Podcast that Labour was "not above stirring up a bit of hatred now and then" in the run-up to next week's Budget, which is expected to include significant tax increases. Lamont also spoke of his "astonishment" at the apparent lack of business experience in Sir Keir Starmer's Cabinet and claimed that the government was "desperate to find revenue" by taking away seniors' entitlements.He said: "I dislike this phrase working people - not just because of its ambiguity, but I think it's deliberately designed to imply working class, which I think is an out-of-date idea, and it's appealing to old fashioned Labour mythology."And I think it's a very unpleasant term to talk about working people. Why is a pensioner not a working person? They've worked all their life. It's ridiculous."

Asked if the party is engaging in a form of class warfare, he added: "I think it is a bit of a class war thing, although I have noticed it's also a term that's been used by the Democrats in America."

Lamont - who served in the Treasury under Major as well as Margaret Thatcher - added that he shared Labour's hope to create "a meritocracy society where everybody can achieve their ambition", but he added: "Sometimes I feel the party of brotherhood and compassion is sort of not above stirring up a degree of hatred now and again."Lamont also took aim at the lack of business experience among Sir Keir Starmer's top team. He said: "I'm more worried about the fact that they're inexperienced."I was astonished to find not in him and no one in the cabinet who's ever started a business or had any commercial experience, but none of them have worked in the private sector, as I understand it."

Asked if he felt the Government was targeting pensioners, he said: "Well it's certainly I'm sure the government would deny it hotly, but it certainly doesn't look very they're just desperate to find revenue.

"The reality of, as I see it, what the Government are trying to do is actually to increase public expenditure, and they want to find an excuse for putting up taxes to do that."

A Labour spokesman told “Labour’s Budget will fix the foundations of our economy and deliver the change people voted for.”