Starmer pledges to take on top earners as part of 10-point Labour leadership bid
Labour leadership frontrunner Keir Starmer has pledged to take on the UK’s top earners, as part of a 10-point plan to win over the party membership.
Starmer, who is shaking off accusations of centrism from some quarters within the party, this morning said an increase in income tax for people earning over £80,000 was one of his “core principles”, alongside reversing cuts in corporation tax and a clamp down on tax avoidance, “particularly of large corporations”.
The shadow Brexit secretary also promised “to defend freedom of movement as we leave the EU”. Freedom of movement is one of the ‘four indivisible freedoms’ that the UK will lose when it leaves the Single Market.
Other key priorities include the introduction of Labour’s Green New Deal, a policy formed under Jeremy Corbyn, as well as promising “no more illegal wars” and a review of UK arms deals.
Starmer also resurrected Corbyn’s beloved nationalisation programme, committing to the public ownership of rail, mail, energy and water – but notably not broadband. And he set out plans to abolish universal credit, set a national goal “to make health as important as GDP”, to seek the abolition of tuition fees and “defend our NHS”.
The Kings Cross MP said he would repeal the Trade Union Act, abolish the House of Lords and replace it with “an elected chamber of regions and nations” and pledged “forensic, effective opposition to the Tories”.
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