‘The only way to be sure taxes won’t rise is to vote Tory’
by an audience member who asked her why foreign aid money was sent to North Korea. Asked by the host David Dimbleby whether it was true that aid money went to North Korea, Mrs May said: “I don’t know the detail on that.”
Britain has reportedly spent £4million in aid in the communist dictatorship in the past six years.
With just five days to go until the election, Sir Michael’s reassurance on income tax suggests the Tories will give the campaign fresh momentum by hardening their position on low taxation – a traditional vote-winner. They are also expected to send ministers to campaign in every swing seat.
Sir Michael’s promise goes beyond the Conservatives’ manifesto pledge – which only rules out increases to VAT – and Mrs May’s non-specific claim that she has “no plans” to increase tax.
Mrs May has previously said that she would seek to “cut taxes on working families”, prompting speculation that the Tories were lining up a tax rise for high earners.
But in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Sir Michael made it clear that income tax “absolutely” would not rise under a new Conservative government.
Asked if high earners could confidently vote Conservative next week safe in the knowledge that their income tax would not go up, Sir Michael said: “Yes.”
He went on: “You’ve seen our record. We’re not in the business of punishing people for getting on; on the contrary, we want people to keep more of their earnings.
“The only way they can be sure their taxes won’t rise is to vote Conservative. We already know your tax will go up if you vote Labour on Thursday.”
Mrs May dropped David Cameron’s “triple tax lock”, which appeared in the 2015 manifesto and had promised no in- creases in VAT, National Insurance or income tax.
It was that pledge that forced the Government into a U-turn on a spring budget plan to raise National Insurance contributions for the self-employed.
Now, by promising not to raise income tax, the Conservatives have
‘We need every vote, to show Brussels we’re serious… and to underpin the strong economy we’ve created’
effectively committed to a “double lock” on VAT and income tax, meaning the only personal tax they have not promised to freeze is National Insurance.
Sir Michael’s comments are not the first time the Conservatives have made a significant departure from their manifesto; it follows Mrs May’s decision to change her stance on social care costs after she was accused of introducing a “dementia tax” by making people pay towards the cost of care in their own homes.
The Conservatives’ tax plans have been blamed for their diminishing lead in the opinion polls, with some pollsters warning that traditional Tories might not turn out on Thursday, playing into the hands of Labour.
Senior Conservatives will hope that by ruling out any increases in income tax they will win over Tory voters who may have been considering staying at home.
Sir Michael warned: “You can be sure your tax will go up if you’re a higher-rate taxpayer if you stay at home on Thursday. We need every single vote, not simply to show Brussels we’re serious about the Brexit negotiations but to underpin the strong economy we’ve created.”