UK NEWS

STOP TAX RAIDS OR WE’LL CRUSH YOU, REBELS TELL BROWN

WARNING: Gordon Brown

Tuesday April 8,2008

By Macer Hall Political Editor

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(15)

LABOUR rebels last night warned Gordon Brown to retreat over his tax raid on the lowest paid or face a crushing Commons defeat.

Senior MPs threatened to force a vote over his doubling of the income tax starting rate to 20 per cent.

They said that without a U-turn, Mr Brown should prepare for a wipe-out in next month’s local elections.

Tory leader David Cameron offered to work with the rebels in an attempt to force a Government retreat.

“Now is absolutely not the time to be hitting 5.3 million families with an extra tax burden,” he said.

Former Welfare Minister Frank Field, Parliamentary Labour Party Chairman Tony Lloyd and London’s Mayor Ken Livingstone all spoke out against the tax change in an indication of Mr Brown’s dwindling authority.

Critics say the doubling of the 10 per cent income tax starting rate – from this week – leaves people earning under £18,500-a-year much worse off.

With rebels joining the Opposition, Mr Brown would face the serious likelihood of his first Commons defeat.

Mr Field said: “I believe it will not come to that, partly because there are these local elections coming up and I would hope the Government is going to do what it needs to do way before May 1 when people have a chance to vote.

“What backbenchers are increasingly uneasy about is that we should ask the poorest to pay for a simplification.”

Mr Lloyd said opposition to the tax change was “real and deeply felt”, adding: “Gordon has got to reflect on the fact that we have not got across to the public what this Labour Government is for.”

Mr Livingstone said: “People at the bottom should pay less – people like me and others should pay more.”

The Labour-dominated Com-mons Treasury Committee yesterday denounced the tax move as “unreasonable”.

Amid fears that Mr Brown is leading his party to election defeat, Tories exploited the Labour jitters with a leaflet showing that over a year, cleaners would pay £45 more tax, dental nurses £132 more, school secretaries £140 extra and library clerks £203 more.

Minister Ed Miliband said: “When you make a big set of changes in the tax system, some lose out – but the changes make it fairer.”

He said reinstating the 10p rate, as the Tories have urged, would cost up to £8billion.

STOP TAX RAIDS OR WE’LL CRUSH YOU, REBELS TELL BROWN

09.04.08, 9:45am

I know I'm stating the bleedin' obvious here, but, if we wanted absolute proof that these hogs are in it for their own gain, this must make it obvious to even the most feeble minded.
Why does one man have so much power? Simple - it's only because the underlings allow him to, and they only allow him to, because they're all scared s***less, they'll lose their own jobs.
Hardlly a single one of them gives a toss about anyone but themselves, and how they can screw even more expenses.

• Posted by: BoggyDepot • Report Comment

JUST DO IT.

08.04.08, 7:23pm

Don't bother threatening this tight fisted robber, because he isn't listening, never has and never will. This theiving bastard and his band of crooks have to be removed from power ASAP.

• Posted by: snaredrum • Report Comment

BLAM, BRILLIANT ARTICLE

08.04.08, 4:37pm

Everyone must read this article:
http://www.tpuc.org/node/62

I don't know how this government is getting away with it.

There must be someone high up in the legal profession who could and most certainly should be fighting for the CONSTITUTION OF THIS COUNTRY!!!

THE FABIAN SOCIETY MUST BE DETROYED!

• Posted by: Jac16 • Report Comment

HE'S GOING ANYWAY

08.04.08, 1:34pm

Judging the depth of feeling in the country right now these clowns days are numbered, but reader Blam's right, it's just another diversionary tactic conjured up to get our eyes off the ball. The biggest issue that's gonna have the most profound effect on this country is being dealt with behind the scenes, and that's the European issue. We've got better options than the three main parties come the elections, lets use them.

• Posted by: ghostdog • Report Comment

GORD MUGABE BROON DOES IT AGAIN

08.04.08, 1:31pm

Yes this is a diversionary tactic to pull the media attention away from bigger issues.
In a few months our politicians will be highly paid EU Muppets or is that Puppets, either way they will have thier strings pulled by the new European goverment when we are ruled totaly from Brussels by a undemocratict and un elected goverment.
There are local elections coming up make your vote count, give Gord Mugabe Broon and co a signal of what is to come in the next general election

• Posted by: mike1951 • Report Comment

BUT WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW?..

08.04.08, 11:14am

i reckon this tax raid is a wonderful diversion for our treasonous MP's. Perhaps we should get back to the crime of the Millenium?...

http://www.tpuc.org/node/62

This really needs to be dealt with. The whole EU scam is a CON. The six treaties are all illegal and so is the ratification.

Read about the treason going on in our "government" and beyond.

• Posted by: blam • Report Comment