An income tax cut for the wealthy dressed up as a tax cut for the poor (Greenwich Borough Liberal Democrats)

Greenwich Borough Liberal Democrats <mail@greenwich-libdems.org.uk>

An income tax cut for the wealthy dressed up as a tax cut for the poor

March 22, 2007 8:00 AM

Sir Menzies Campbell MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Campbell condemns Brown's budget failures

Sir Menzies Campbell, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, has criticised Gordon Brown's budget as "an income tax cut for the wealthy dressed up as a tax cut for the poor."

"The headline that Gordon Brown wants in tomorrow's papers is his two pence cut in the basic rate of income tax. Yet in his statement he failed to mention that the income tax changes announced in the budget will mean that anyone earning less than around £15,000 will pay more in income tax."

Sir Menzies commented:

"We need tax cuts for the low and middle income earners now. Gordon Brown did not do enough for the hard working family struggling with rising living costs, the young couple worried about interest rates rises or our public sector workers whose income has been squeezed. I am angry that this Chancellor has failed to show that he is listening to the people of Britain."

"It is shameful that in Britain today the wealth gap between the rich and poor is greater than it was under Margaret Thatcher."

"This budget failed to reduce tax for those on low and middle incomes, properly tackle the issue of climate change using green taxation and address rising levels of personal debt."