Local News
"We're On Track with Tax Cuts" Say Redcar Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats will have delivered a £825 income tax cut for people in Redcar Constituency by the next election, Redcar MP Ian Swales said today.
The Autumn Statement revealed plans to let workers take home even more money before they pay any income tax.
Raising the tax-free personal allowance to £10,000 - a tax cut of £700 - was on the front of the Liberal Democrat 2010 manifesto. But by the end of this parliament Liberal Democrats will have raised this allowance to £10,600.
In the North East this will lift at least 18,000 people out of income tax altogether in 2015-16. It also means that 934,000 people will see an average real terms gain of £94
Commenting after the announcement, Ian Swales said: “This tax cut is the real budget boost for working people and takes even more of the poorest out of income tax altogether.
“The Liberal Democrats are the one party to put tax cuts on the front page of its manifesto and deliver them - helping low and middle income families across Britain.
Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Redcar Constituency, Cllr Josh Mason said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the Liberal Democrats and a great help for hard working local people. Raising the tax threshold has always been a policy of ours and, if elected next year, we would push it even further to £12,500 in the next Parliament.”
Zetland FM contacted the offices of local opposition parties for a comment on the remarks made Redcar Liberal Democrats. Steve Turner, UKIP Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: "I find it hard to believe that anybody associated with this government seeks to take credit for a tax cut whilst so many other tax increases and welfare cuts mean they have over seen the biggest increase in food bank usage that this country has ever known.
"Not since the days of rationing have so many people had to use vouchers for food not to mention that the despicable bedroom tax that they helped bring in means that families of serving soldiers are demeaned by having to apply for an exemption so that their brave children don't have to sleep on a sofa to visit parents.
"Like the captain of the Titanic, Mr Swales is pointing out the beauty of the small ice peaks around him whilst failing to admit that his parties ship is about to sink."
Anna Turley, Labour & Co-Operative Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar said: "You can’t trust a word the Liberal Democrats say. They have broken their promises and been too weak to stand up to the Tories.
"The truth behind their claims on tax is that they and the Tories have chosen to cut taxes for millionaires while everyone else pays more.
"Working people are £1,600 a year worse off since the Lib Dems joined the Tories in government.
"Labour will put hardworking people first. We’ll support working people and make work pay by raising the minimum wage to £8 an hour before 2020, banning exploitative zero-hours contracts, introducing tough and fair immigration controls, freezing energy bills until 2017, expanding free childcare for working parents to 25 hours a week and introducing a lower 10p starting rate of tax".
