TaxPayers’ Alliance hails triple lock tax freeze but warns against joining the spending arms race
For immediate release
Responding to the release of the Conservative manifesto, TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell, said:
“Welcome cuts to employees’ and employers’ national insurance, as well as business rates, confirm the Conservatives have heeded our call that lower taxes are good for blue collar bread-winners, everyday families and hard-working entrepreneurs.
“But while a guaranteed triple lock tax freeze will also come as a welcome relief to typical taxpayers, many are cooling on the promised splurges which are rife in this campaign. Spending more on frontline services is one thing, but voters are not stupid and will be questioning how other cash bungs can be paid for.
“Instead of raising taxes to pay for more spending, politicians should launch a war on waste and reduce spending elsewhere first.”
On the proposal to raise the national insurance threshold, O’Connell said:
“Raising the national insurance threshold offers employees refreshing respite from what is essentially a second income tax. Aligning national insurance with income tax is a key step to simplifying our tax code, so it’s important that the so-called ‘ambition’ to raise it to £12,500 is more than a mealy-mouthed manifesto fudge.”
On the proposal to reduce business rates on small businesses, O’Connell said:
“High streets up and down the country bear the scars of high rents and punishing taxes, so a cut in business rates will be a welcome relief for many firms struggling to keep the doors open. However, picking and choosing which sectors get significant short term relief only makes the system more complicated, making the case for reforming business rates all the more urgent.”
TPA spokesmen are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Media contact:
Sam Packer
Media Campaign Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)
- Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, and now with 80,000 supporters, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) fights to reform taxes, reduce spending and protect taxpayers. Find out more about the TaxPayers' Alliance at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
- TaxPayers' Alliance's advisory council.
- In landmark polling released in November 2019, the TaxPayers’ Alliance found that there was widespread public support for tax cuts, and C2DE voters more than twice as likely as ABC1 voters to back cutting corporation tax to 12.5 per cent, the same level as Ireland’s. The polling was conducted for the TaxPayers' Alliance by Public First Ltd. Total sample size was 4,004 with fieldwork between 26 - 30 July 2019.