Conservatives still party of lower taxes, claims May
THERESA May has sought to scotch claims the Conservatives are planning a post-election tax hike, insisting they remain the party of “lower taxes”. The Prime Minister, however refused to repeat the party’s 2015 manifesto pledge not to put up income tax, VAT or national insurance, after Chancellor Philip Hammond hinted it could be ditched. At an election campaign event in Dudley in the West Midlands, the Prime Minister said voters faced a choice on polling day on June 8 between “lower taxes under the Conservatives or higher taxes under Labour”. But when pressed by reporters, she would not be drawn on whether the previous commitment under David Cameron not to raise taxes would be included in the party’s manifesto for the forthcoming general election.
Her comments came after Mr Hammond, attending the spring meeting of the IMF in Washington, said he needed more “flexibility” when it came to managing the economy.
The Chancellor was last month forced into a humiliating Budget U-turn after furious Tory MPs said his planned national insurance changes for the self-employed breached the tax pledge.
His latest remarks prompted shadow chancellor John McDonnell to claim that the Conservatives were planning a “tax bombshell” if they were returned to power.
However, Mrs May told supporters: “At this election people are going to have a very clear choice.
“They will have a choice between a Conservative Party which always has been, is and will continue to be a party that believes in lower taxes, in keeping taxes down for ordinary working people.
“Or the choice is a Labour Party whose natural instinct is always to raise taxes. That’s the choice: lower taxes under the Conservatives or higher taxes under Labour.”
Liberal Democrat former business secretary Sir Vince Cable said Mrs May was now “at war” with her Chancellor over tax.
“Philip Hammond admitted yesterday that taxes would have to rise, no doubt due to Theresa May’s hard Brexit that could leave anything up to a £100 billion Brexit black hole in the public finances,” he said.
“Theresa May should come clean on how she intends to fill the Brexit black hole if she won’t increase taxes.”
Jeremy Corbyn, campaigning in the North West, attacked Conservative tax cuts for big business and the very wealthy and said that under Labour the burden would fall on those with the “broadest shoulders”.
“Our tax burdens will not fall on those with low incomes. They will fall on those with the broadest shoulders who can bear the greatest burden,” he said.