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HIGHER TAXES AS HARMAN WAGES NEW WAR ON WEALTH

Harriet Harman is playing at being Chancellor, say the Tories

Tuesday November 10,2009

By Macer Hall

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(18)

LABOUR ministers are pressing for an onslaught of swingeing tax raids on middle-income households in a new “class war” on wealth.

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman was last night understood to be leading the calls for a series of punitive hikes in property taxes designed to tackle inequality across Britain.

Her demand for a return to old-fashioned redistributive taxation has already caused a Cabinet rift.

Crippling rises in stamp duty and inheritance tax, tougher capital gains tax and even a brutal new wealth tax are among ideas being considered to squeeze more cash out of homeowners.

New council tax bands could also be introduced to target the better-off.

And cash raised by the Treasury would be transferred to lower-income households through Labour’s flagship tax credit system.

Critics last night claimed the move was designed to garner favour with hard-Left Labour socialists ahead of a party leadership contest when Gordon Brown finally quits.

We can all recognise that the top of public-sector pay has got completely out of hand, with many people being paid more than the Prime Minister

Harriet Harman

Tory Shadow Treasury Minister David Gauke said: “In her attempts to appeal to the Labour Left and advance her own ambitions Harriet Harman is playing at being Chancellor. What does Alistair Darling think?

“This is yet more evidence of a Labour Government in complete disarray at a time when we need a strong and coherent Government. This makes them part of the problem, not the solution.”

And Tory MP Mark Pritchard said: “Another week, another policy idea in Ms Harman’s premature Labour leadership bid.

“She will have to try harder and do better than wheeling out the old Labour ideology of yet more tax rises. That is the last thing people need in a time of recession.”

Susie Squire, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “It’s madness for the Government to introduce yet more punitive taxes and disincentivise wealth creators and foreign investment at a time when we need all the economic help we can get to lift the real economy out of recession.”

Ms Harman has commissioned a report on inequality and social exclusion in Britain from a team of academics chaired by Professor John Hills of the London School of Economics.

Their findings are due next January. However, Cabinet ministers have seen early drafts of the report. It is understood to argue that inequality has worsened considerably over the past two decades.

Some ministers want to use the findings to set off a debate about taxation and inequality in the UK.

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There is growing support within the Labour Party for setting up a High Pay Commission that will look at limiting earnings for the wealthy.

Ms Harman is already piloting a draconian Equality Bill through Parliament.

She has told MPs: “We can all recognise that the top of public-sector pay has got completely out of hand, with many people being paid more than the Prime Minister.

“We need to get a grip on that and sort it out.”

But she has repeatedly insisted she has no ambition to succeed Mr Brown.

I WONDER IF THAT INCLUDES HER?

10.11.09, 11:07pm

Not only is Harriet Harman over paid i think she still owes us some of her expenses back! The hypocracy is palpable!
http://www.daveyonefamilylawman.blogspot.com/

• Posted by: Daveyone • Report Comment

CUT WASTE,IDIOTS

10.11.09, 10:59pm

Billions given to India in overseas aid. India builds a £2 Billion nuclear submarine and buys 200 Tons of gold.
We have to remove the 646.

• Posted by: JackPershing • Report Comment

WHEN ARE THEY GONNA LEARN.....

10.11.09, 10:07pm

Everytime someone in labour makes a decison is to raise the taxes of the middle class or high class and they think that wil solve the problems.
They have Council tax, Income tax, VAT, road tax, the new tax being added to phone bills. The list is endless.

When are they gonna realise that raising taxes is not the answer.

Scamming the middle class is not the ANSWER.

Labour WAKE UP

They need to look at what caused the recession to make sure it does not happen again. Putting the VAT down to 15% did not make no differecne to me as the prices were still the same.

Whie they have holidays for three months me and my wife work seven days a week to buy ASDA smart price for my son.

The govenment at present should be rid of- actual people from the middle class should be in Government as they have a better understanding.

Same for any party in Government stop blaming each other and sort the mess you created

• Posted by: Singh01 • Report Comment

HIGHER TAXES?

10.11.09, 3:23pm

This lady is the modern BATWOMAN.
Bitter and twisted.
Can you imagine a Government full of her ilk? We would soon have a deluge waiting to emigrate to the Moon, Mars or any other weird destination. Anywhere would be preferable.
How does she think up her outlandish ideas?

• Posted by: Jerry_Attrick • Report Comment

WE ALL WILL BE PAYING MORE TAXES.

10.11.09, 3:13pm

I firmly believe that whoever wins the next election will have us paying more taxes,I can see the sense in that paying more tax will be needed to chelp clear the debt that has built up.
I have little respect for HARRIET HARMAN but I do feel that the strongest backs will have to bear an extra burden to clear this debt.
I am sure once the CONSERVATIVES get in that they will say things are much worse than they thought and so they need to put up taxation and I am sure that LABOUR also will have to put up some taxes.
For a few years that will be necessary and I am getting ready for it,but as long as the genuine weakest in society are protected then I wont mind paying more.I would rather be told it will happen so that things can get sorted in a few years rather than decades,that way we will be helping sort the mess out and not leave it for the young in the future.

• Posted by: joey5262 • Report Comment

EX-PRISONER WHO USED DRUGS IN JAIL WINS £1.4M PAYOUT

10.11.09, 2:27pm

How about this for a waste of taxes? Still, it does tickle me to see MPS bleating about this because it sets a president. Its seems the people who have created our political correctness machine have got their hands trapped in its cogs

KILL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS - BRING BACK COMMON SENSE

• Posted by: EddR • Report Comment