The Liberal Democrats ave pledged to raise the income tax personal allowance to at least £12,500, in manifesto plans announced on Thursday. The party has also signalled it would seek to increase the amount people can earn before paying national insurance, according to a Guardian report.
Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, said the allowance would rise by the end of the next parliament. The move would cut income tax for 30 million workers and save the typical basic-rate taxpayer £400 a year, the party claimed. It would also benefit more than 6 million pensioners, says the report.
Alexander said, according to the report, the tax system had to be fair and help being in work pay. “That’s why cutting income tax for working people, particularly those on low and middle incomes, is a top Liberal Democrat priority. It was on the front page of the 2010 Liberal Democrat manifesto and we have fought to keep it on the agenda at every budget. By April next year we will have delivered a tax cut to over 26 million people worth £800 a year to a typical basic-rate taxpayer and taken over 3 million out of tax altogether. Now we want to go even further and lift the amount of money people can earn before paying income tax to £12,500.”
He added: “The Liberal Democrats are the only party in British politics with a long-term commitment to cutting taxes for the working people of Britain. We’ve delivered the largest programme of tax cuts for a generation over the last four years, despite all of the other financial pressures.
“These manifesto commitments will mean nothing less than a generational shift to a fairer tax system that rewards work and helps working people. That’s the way to build a stronger economy and a fairer society and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get on in life.”