John Ashworth, Underground Works and Pensions Minister, said 'taxation should be fair' and that 'in politics we have to make hard choices' Photo: Geoff Pugh for The Telegraph
Labor will make 'hard choices' and conduct a tax raid on pensions to show they are 'prudent' about national finances, shadow work and pensions minister says.
Jonathan Ashworth said the party would reintroduce the limit on lifetime pension savings because it would «always be responsible for public finances.»
In last month's budget, Jeremy Hunt, chancellor, announced that the limit would be lifted as part of reforms to encourage older people, especially doctors, to stay in the labor market.
However, Labor has promised to reinstate the £1,073,100 cap, saying its removal brings benefit only the «top 1%» of workers.
Speaking to the Telegraph during a campaign visit to Ramsgate in Kent about local elections, Mr Ashworth defended the decision. , saying that «taxation should be fair.»
«In politics, we have to make difficult choices,» he said. «The Labor Party will always be absolutely prudent and prudent with regard to public finances.»
He pointed to the financial turmoil that followed the «mini-budget» tax cuts in the fall as evidence why the Labor government would have to re- impose an accusation.
“We saw what happened under Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss, where the government is cavalier and irresponsible with public finances,” he said. “We are still living with the consequences of this as millions of people will have to remortgage this year and pay mind-boggling amounts.”
Retirement race fears
Labor policy led to warnings. that today there could be a «crush» of people postponing their pensions and retiring ahead of the next general election in anticipation of a change in the rules.
However, Mr. Ashworth downplayed those concerns. «I don't agree that people will play the system,» he said.
Launching his attack on the Tories, he said that Rishi Sunak «has a well-known track record of increasing the tax on workers», in including by freezing income tax thresholds.
“He's always fiddling with new taxes. increases for working families,” he said. «We didn't think it was a fair choice, with working families paying more taxes and struggling to survive to offer a £1bn tax break to the highest paid.»
As Shadow Minister Careers and Pensions Mr. Ashworth promised to increase the number of people working by introducing career counselors to medical institutions such as mental health and drug services.
During his visit to Ramsgate, Mr. Ashworth met several ex-offenders who were helped with their alcohol problems and prepared for work.
Help for alcohol addiction is a personal passion
Mr Ashworth passionately fought for the fight against alcohol addiction because of his own experience of his father John, who died of alcoholism.
He said: «There are an enormous amount of people who have been affected by this who don't want to talk because if you criticize alcohol abuse, people worry that you're kind of bored or a party animal or something.
“But there are so many families for whom alcohol is not a pleasure. In my own circumstances it never led to domestic violence or anything like that… it was just constant and exhausting, frustrating and soul destroying.
“It was just a constant trait of growing up. I don't want to say that it was manageable because it led to my father's death when he was 60 years old. This is not an age to die, is it? But I kind of put up with it, because that's what happens in childhood.»
He added: «People can't be written off if they have a drinking problem.»
In the interview, Mr. Ashworth also defended Labor's controversial attack ads, suggesting that Mr. Sunak did not want to jail those convicted of child sex crimes.
He said the ads «hit hard.» «, but that it was «legitimate» to cover the issue because «people think that criminals get away with it.»
Responding to a question about the apparent narrowing of the polls, he said that he «never believed polls showing «big, big prospects» for Labor after the collapse of the Truss government, adding that the general election would be a «close fight».
He also pledged not to check a number of rights for pensioners, such as paying for winter fuel , free TV licenses and bus passes.
“British pensioners can be sure that I will support them,” he said.
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