Lib Dems scrap plans to raise income tax by 1p

Sir Ed Davey says it's unfair to ask working families to 'pay more tax'; Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

The Liberal Democrats have abandoned plans to raise income tax by a penny to improve public services as they target traditional Tory voters.

Sir Ed Davey said the idea is no longer relevant. in the face of pressure on the cost of living, arguing that it would be unfair to households already in dire straits.

Paddy Ashdown introduced the penny-per-pound policy during his leadership in 1992, and it has been Lib Dem policy ever since.

But on the penultimate day of his party's annual conference in Bournemouth, Sir Ed insisted that «you can't ask working families to pay more» when the tax burden has already been reduced. at post-war highs.

“We've had two years of frozen income tax breaks and four more years to come,” he told The Times.

“These six years of hidden income tax increases taxes equal to an increase in the basic tax rate of more than 3 pence.

“All of these commuter counties are really suffering from the triple whammy of secrecy. tax rises, mortgage rates and rail fares are rising — they are really looking for someone other than the Conservatives and are not going to vote Labour.”

Sir Ed added that the Lib Dems had «really made clear that we are listening to voters in a way we haven't done for a generation» as they sought to challenge the Conservatives in dozens of Blue Wall seats.

< p>Blue Wall is referring to wealthy, largely rural constituencies in the south of England where the Conservatives have traditionally won.

The Liberal Democrats unseated large Tory majorities in by-elections in Chesham and Amersham, North Shropshire, Tiverton and Honiton . and most recently Somerton and Frome, where their new MP Sarah Dyke overturned the Tory majority of 19,000 in July.

2,207 Lib Dems returned

In his closing speech on Tuesday, Sir Ed will propose creating a Royal College of Social Care to raise standards and train more staff, setting out proposals to put care workers on equal footing with other health workers. /p>

He will also accuse the Conservatives and Labor of a «deafening silence» on the issue, with almost one in 10 jobs in the sector vacant and raising concerns about pay and working conditions.

It is a policy that will apply to on the same basis as the Royal Colleges for Nurses, Midwives and GPs would cost taxpayers around £2 billion a year.

1,107 seats most at risk for Lib Dems. and labor

Sir Ed is expected to say: “We urgently need to recruit more care professionals and pay them properly to tackle the chronic staff shortages facing the sector.”

“You can’t fix the NHS without consolidation of social security. Addressing the health crisis will take pressure off our hospitals, ambulances and GP services.»

Earlier this year, government insiders admitted that Rishi Sunak had quietly scrapped Boris Johnson's flagship social care reform, which had been delayed just weeks after Sunak became prime minister.

This happened because the party suffered a disappointing defeat in the voting. to force his leadership to deliver on a pledge to build 380,000 new homes a year, a move likely to deal a blow to his hopes of winning over traditional Tory voters.

The Liberal Democrats had hoped to soften the policy and instead commit to building 150,000 new council homes each year, but instead received a national pledge that is more ambitious than the government's target of 300,000 homes,

Helen Morgan , the party's housing spokesman and Tim Farron, the former Lib Dem leader, were booed as they criticized the top-down target, which Farron warned would be an «electoral gift to the Tories».

Ms Morgan, railed against «failed orthodoxy» on housing, insisted the Lib Dems «proud to be a democratic party that allows for proper debate on core issues».

But Rachel Maclean, Tory minister Housing Builder said: «The Liberal Democrats can't be trusted to plan — take it from Davey, who said their policies will result in 'the wrong houses being built in the wrong places' on Sunday.»

On Monday In an interview with Sky News, Sir Ed hinted that he would be willing to reach an election deal with the Labor Party if circumstances allowed, but said he would “not speculate on what else might happen.”