Bloomberg News
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to cut taxes for people on middle incomes as well as the lowest paid if he wins next year's general election, taking the fight to the Labour opposition that's leading in the polls.
The premier said a re-elected Conservative government would increase the threshold for starting to pay the 40 percent rate of income tax to 50,000 pounds ($81,000) from about 41,900 pounds. He pledged to cut taxes for 30 million people and take 1 million out of paying income tax altogether by raising the starting point for the 20 percent basic rate to 12,500 pounds from 10,500 pounds.
'I want to be back here in October 2015 delivering Conservative policies, based on Conservative values, leading a majority Conservative government,' Cameron told delegates in Birmingham, central England, today at his party's last annual conference before the May 7 election. 'I want to take action that's long overdue and bring back some fairness to tax.'
Cameron, whose party has been rocked by defections and which polls suggest is facing electoral defeat in seven months, offered a vision of 'a better future for all' in 'a Britain that everyone is proud to call home.' He told his audience the election will be a straight fight between him and Labour leader Ed Miliband, whom he mocked for failing to mention the budget deficit in a speech last week to his own party convention.
'No Reward'
'The last five years have been about laying the foundations for that country, the next five years are about finishing the job,' he said. 'There is no reward without effort, no wealth without work, no success without sacrifice.'
The prime minister painted the election choice as one of trust, accusing Labour of talking 'rubbish' and 'lies' about Conservative plans for the state-funded National Health Service and having no plan to build the economy.
'Do you want to go back to square one or finish what we've begun?' he asked. 'You can only have a strong NHS if you have a strong economy.'
Cameron pledged to ensure the lowest corporate taxes in the Group of 20 nations and to cut regulation to encourage business, as he accused his opponents of stifling aspiration.
'You never pull a person up by pulling another person down,' he told delegates. 'We believe in aspiration and helping people get on in life, and what's more we're proud of it.'
Upbeat Mood
The speech capped the upbeat mood of the conference in the face of polls showing Labour's electoral lead remaining firm at about 5 percentage points, as well as the defection on the eve of the gathering of a second Conservative lawmaker to the anti-European Union, anti-immigration U.K. Independence Party.
That, combined with the resignation the same day of a junior minister over a sex scandal, left the Tories reeling. Rumors that further UKIP defections were on the way swept through the conference each day.
'If you vote UKIP that's really a vote for Labour,' Cameron told delegates. 'There is only one real choice: The Conservatives or Labour. Me in Downing Street or Ed Miliband in Downing Street.''
If you agree with the proposed Conservative program 'vote for me,' he said. 'If you don't, vote for the other guy.'
To contact the reporters on this story: Thomas Penny in Birmingham, England at tpenny@bloomberg.net; Svenja O'Donnell in Birmingham, England at sodonnell@bloomberg.net; Alex Morales in Birmingham, England at amorales2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alan Crawford at acrawford6@bloomberg.net Eddie Buckle
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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