MP insists Tories will keep taxes LOW.... but doesn't want to say HOW
A TORY MP insisted the Conservatives remain the party of “lower taxes”, despite Theresa May refusing to repeat their 2015 manifesto pledge not to raise them.
Mark Harper: The conservatives are a party of low taxes
Speaking to Westminster Hour, Mark Harper urged Britons to look to the Conservative Party’s track record in Government before being spooked about tax increases.
Insisting the tories would continue to fight for low tax, Mr Harper said: “The point [Mrs May] was making, and I think she made it straight forward, is the Conservatives is the party of low taxes.
“If you look at our record in Government over the last few years, we’ve reduced taxes. Basic rate taxpayers had 1,000-pound tax cut, we’ve taken four million of the lowest paid out of income tax completely.
“So if people look at our record, what we’ve actually done, they can see we’ve cut taxes so I think if people are patient, they’ll get the manifesto well ahead of the time they have to vote.”
Mark Harper insisted the Conservative Party would keep taxes low
Quizzed if the tax lock should stay in place, the MP for the Forest of Dean, evaded the question as he referred back to the election manifesto due to be published within the next few weeks.
He said: “I think we should make it very clear a Conservative Government is going to be one that will continue to make sure that we keep taxes low.
“How we word that, I’m content to leave to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.”
Over the weekend, Theresa May refused to rule out increases in income tax, VAT or national insurance.
Jeremy Corbyn SLAMS 'morally bankrupt' Conservatives
The Conservatives is the party of low taxes
She was pressed on the issue after Chancellor Philip Hammond said he wanted “full flexibility” when it came to running the nation’s finances.
Speaking at an election campaign event in Dudley in the West Midlands, the PM said voters faced a choice on June 8 between “lower taxes under the Conservatives or higher taxes under Labour”.
Mrs May told supporters: “At this election, people are going to have a very clear choice.
“They will have a choice between a Conservative Party which always has been, is, and will continue to be a party that believes in lower taxes, in keeping taxes down for ordinary working people.
“Or the choice is a Labour Party whose natural instinct is always to raise taxes. That’s the choice – lower taxes under the Conservatives or higher taxes under Labour.”
Mrs May also said there was no room for complacency going into the campaign, despite the Conservatives’ commanding 16-point lead over Labour in the opinion polls.
“I am not complacent about this forthcoming election,” she said.
“The opinion polls got the General Election wrong in 2015. They got the EU referendum wrong. And as Jeremy Corbyn has himself said, he was a 200- to-1 chance for the Labour leadership and look at how that went.
“So we will not be complacent. We will be fighting for every single vote.”