Labour pledges no rise in income tax
Labour will not raise the basic or top rate of income tax in the next Parliament, the Chancellor Gordon Brown pledged today.
Launching Labour’s election manifesto, Mr Brown also pledged not to extend VAT to food, children’s clothes, books, newspapers and public transport fares.
But, the party made no pledge on maintaining National Insurance contributions at their current level.
Flanked by Mr Brown and other Cabinet colleagues at the Mermaid Theatre in central London, Labour leader Tony Blair set out pledges for an unprecedented third consecutive third term of power.
Labour’s manifesto includes central pledges to transform Britain into a more prosperous and equal society by securing long-term economic growth and protect public services.
Labour would campaign for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum on the European Constitution, would remove the votes of hereditary peers and give a free vote on reform of the House of Lords.
Mr Blair promised strict immigration controls and a reduction in the number of asylum-seekers. But he added: “Because the British people are also decent and tolerant, we will continue to give asylum to genuine refugees and never play politics with immigration.”
A skills based points-system for immigration would be introduced, with employers facing a £2000 fine for employing illegal immigrants.
Mr Blair pledged to keep inflation low, raise living standards for all and extend the New Deal “so that everyone gets the chance of a job and a living wage.”
“Every line in this manifesto has this driving mission behind it: to support and help hard-working families to cope and prosper in the face of the stress and strain and struggle of modern life,” he said.
“Their interests come first; their priorities are our priorities.”
He promised a modern NHS with power in the hands of the patient and on education “to keep investment rising year on year in our schools so that every primary school and secondary school is rebuilt or has the sports halls or facilities they need.”
Schools would continue to be modernised and given more freedom to develop as they wished, although there would also be a focus on basics such as school sport, discipline and food.
Every young person would at 16 be given the choice of staying at school or going into “proper, quality” work-related training, including 300,000 apprenticeships each year.
On crime, he pledged a uniformed presence in every neighbourhood “so that we do not just cut crime, but the fear of crime as well.”
As for foreign policy, it would be strong on defence, fight the “scandal” of world poverty – especially in Africa – and take radical action on climate change.
Mr Blair said: “This manifesto has specific, costed, detailed policy in it. It represents, on the basis of a strong economy and investment in public safety, a radical acceleration of the changes we have seen these past eight years.”
Britain was “better, stronger, fairer” than it had been when Labour came to power in 1997, he added.
Mr Blair also confirmed that the May 5 poll would be his last as party leader and Prime Minister.
