The Labour party had pledged during the election not to increase taxes on working people, and subsequently ruled out any rise in national insurance, VAT or income tax.
A clear majority of Labour Party members would support breaking the party’s manifesto pledges on tax, if it meant greater investment in public services, as pressure continues to grow on the chancellor to implement bolder measures to boost economic growth ahead of the budget next month.
A poll of party members carried out by Survation on behalf of LabourList found that 76% of those asked said that they would back a rise in national insurance, income tax or VAT in order to put more money into public services, with 20% opposed.
The Labour party had pledged during the election not to increase taxes on working people, and subsequently ruled out any rise in national insurance, VAT or income tax.
However, despite current forecasts predicting that the UK will be the second-fastest growing economy in the G7, some on the left have called on the government to go further and faster to improve public services which were decimated after 14 years of Tory austerity.
LabourList reports: “While 79% of those who backed Keir Starmer in the 2020 leadership contest would support the government breaking its promise not to raise those three taxes, support was weaker among those who backed Rebecca Long-Bailey at 69%.
“The poll also found that seven in ten of members (72%) believed that the government had upheld its manifesto commitment on tax, with 20% believing the government had broken its promise not to raise national insurance, income tax or VAT on working people.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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