Labour makes tax promise
ED Miliband yesterday promised there would be no new personal tax rises if Labour wins the next election.
His pledge, which has echoes of Tony Blair’s famous promise not to hike income tax, comes as the new Labour leader tries to appeal to thecentre ground.
“I’m not proposing rises in personal taxation beyond those set out by Alistair Darling, certainly not” he said in an interview yesterday.
Miliband also confirmed he would oppose government plans to scrap child benefit for those paying the higher rate of income tax.
He said: “I think we have a mix of universal benefits that go to everybody, in the case of child benefit to recognise the importance of the family.”
Asked if he thought a millionaire should receive child benefit, hereplied: “I’m in favour of that, yes.”
Although Miliband said there would be no rise in personal taxation, he has said the 50p top rate should become a permanent feature of the tax code. And yesterday he repeated calls for an additional bank levy to help reduce the deficit. He said: “If we can get more from the banks in a higher bank levy to protect ordinary families… we should do.”