6th January 2010

Cameron's Lack of Coherence On Marriage Tax Policy

Issue



>
  • PMQs today saw the Prime Minister expose David Cameron's lack of coherence and lack of substance over the Tories' marriage tax policy.

Key points

  • The Prime Minister today set out the big choice the country faces: an age of aspiration or an age of austerity. And between protecting frontline services or tax cuts for the few. The Tories offer a change to benefit the privileged few - a change you can't afford.

  • The Prime Minister said:

    "[David Cameron] said on Monday morning one thing, on Monday afternoon something different, on Monday evening something different, and then the Member who floated the policy, the former leader of the Conservative Party, said he had a private assurance of £4.9 billion being spent.

    "Now Mr Speaker, if he wishes to reduce the deficit presumably he doesn't want to spend £4.9 billion on a married couples allowance, if he wishes to reduce the deficit presumably he will go ahead with the National Insurance tax rise that we are proposing, if he wishes to reduce the deficit he won't go ahead with his inheritance tax proposals which he now says is his only pledge.

    "We are reducing the deficit with a plan that includes tax rises, departmental cuts and protecting the frontline services; the Conservatives would be cutting education services, they'd be cutting police services, they'd be cutting the main services in the country. Their policies are a change: a change back to the 1980s."

  • The Prime Minister said:

    "There's a £34 billion gap in [David Cameron's] proposals, he cannot go round the country promising everything to everyone, he's got to face up to the facts, his policies are only fit for opposition, not for government."

  • David Cameron can spend the better part of half a million pounds on posters and PR, but he cannot hide from the big decisions on policy, on the issues that matter to the public like the future of our public services or how we ensure that we protect the recovery and build a strong future for everyone in the country.

Return to Top of page