Apr 2008 22

A week to save the 10p tax band3

Next week Labour MP Frank Field will table an amendment to save the 10p tax band.  If you’ve read a paper, watched the news or, really, just been awake at any time in the past fortnight, you’ll have heard of the gathering storm in the Labour Party about the abolition of the 10p tax band. 

Millions of pensioners and workers will be hit hardest, seeing their income tax rate double.  These are people who get up to go to work, sometimes doing jobs that most Britons don’t want to do.  These are people who have made the choice to work as cleaners or bar staff.  They could have fiddled the benefits system and taken the easy life sitting in front of the TV all day living off you and me.  But they haven’t.  They get up every morning and go to work.  So I think it’s time we threw our support behind Frank Field’s campaign to save the 10p tax band and stand by those who are being hit hardest for doing an honest day’s work.

It’s strongly recommended you contact your MP to spur them on, give them support and let them know the country is behind them if they rebel against the government.  You can find your MP by using the Write to Them website or through the parliament website.  Alternatively, you can contact your MP through their own website if you know who your representative is.  Make it clear you support retaining the 10p tax band and that abolishing it is a deeply unpopular move. 

Too often MPs standing on a point of principle are warned by the Whips of de-selection and trouble at the coming election.  This is your chance to even the balance between principle and the Machiavellian manoeuvres of party machines.  Get your friends, colleagues and anyone you know who wants to see a better deal for taxpayers to contact their MP and urge them to vote against the abolition of the 10p tax rate. 

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  • Alan

    I have written to my MP but like the majority of members of our political system, he is more interested in lining his and his family’s pockets with dubious expense claims. I wrote to him about that too and he ignores the subject of course. What we need is a good old Tax Riot, this 60yr old will be down Whitehall hurling abuse and more if I can get hold of it.

  • Graeme Pirie

    So apparently Darling has now promised “compensation”
    As quoted by the BBC: – “He said he would be looking at changes to the winter fuel payment system, tax credits and the minimum wage in order to compensate those losing out from the ending of the 10p rate.”
    Are these people complete and utter morons? (Silly question – we already knew that..)
    What was originally billed as a “simplification” will now turn into a massive administrative excercise – no doubt costing us countless millions more. And it sounds like a one-off so the problem arises again next year.
    What’s wrong with simply increasing the tax threshold and reducing tax credits by the increase in threshold?

  • Frank

    I am 58 and my wife is 57. We live off my police pension which is well below the £18500 threshold. The tax change means that I will pay more tax. My pension provides an income for both of us but my wife does not get a personal allowance to use in reference to it and of course there is no married person’s allowance. She has to pay all the charges (fuel duty; VAT etc) which we all have to pay in our normal life and because we live together my Council Tax is higher than if I lived alone. We want to downsize but our house price is unattractive because of the non-adjustment of stamp duty. Why is it that my wife and others like her are not able to claim any allowance against their income? My wife was as much a contributor to my pension as was I as, without her, I could not have done my work and brought about two sons. Perhaps she should charge me for housekeeping and secretarial duties in the same fashion as some MPs/MEPs!
    Why should women in this category be discriminated against?